Boyd Books

Yolen and Stemple have created a visual feast in their, "Color Me A Rhyme." As usual, Jane Yolen's poetry is excellent, but what sold me on the book were the amazing photographic layouts of natural images in green, grey, orange, purple....Each two page spread in the book has a Jane Yolen poem about the featured color, other names for the color (for white: chalk, snow, alabaster and bone), a literary quote about the color, and at least two lovely juxtaposed photos. You have to see the book to really appreciate its gorgeous layouts. This book would be excellent in the early grades, where teaching concepts is emphasized, or when teaching creative writing. Kids could all write their own color poems. I also think young artists would enjoy the varieties of color represented in the volume. How many kids know the varieties of blue? Some of its names are lovely and mysterious--cerulean, sapphire, azure and turquoise. Let them experience these colors in this fine book.

I really like this book of poems. The pictures are lovely. Some poems have just a few lines and some poems are longer. The second language students and native English speaking students enjoy these poems.

This book gives you a wonderful list of cruise companys and an insite into each one. This includes the different ships owned by each company as well as helpful information like size, staffing requirements and ports of call. . With useful addresses to contact. However, it does not contain information about how to get a job in the cruise industry. If you are looking into different companys and what they provide it is an invaluble source of information.

Sharon.

5 stars why? Well because of this book I am making tons of money and traveling all over the Caribbean.

A friend of mine suggested that I try out for a cruise line position, she previously had obtained employment by using this manual, so I figure if she could do it so could I, By using this handbook, and following the tips and instructions. I am now a full time employee on Carnaval. I felt that I had to tell people about this book and give thanks to the folks over at International Jobs for helping me make a dream come true. If you are serious about working on a cruise ship don't think twice about it, this handbook is the key.

Thanks Amazon for giving me the chance to express my gratitude.

Dani Fortuna

[...] I read this book and it helped me to learn English. This book is about one girl named Sophie who wrote a letter to her father when he was away on a ship.
She writes to her father about what she is doing in the house. This book is special because it has two stories-the story of Sophie and story of her father. One story is about Sophie which you can read, but her father's story you can see in the pictures. Sophie wants her father to come back. I like the book because it has a happy end.
I like to read others' letters. I think people or kids should read the book because it is a good book to learn English, and if you don't know how to read you can understand if you look at the pictures. If you want to learn how to write a letter you need to read the book

I liked the book very, very much!

Yahav

This book is a letter from a young daughter to her dad, who is away on a ship, traveling to Asia, for a whole year. The illustrations show what is happening at home and what is happening where Daddy is. It is excellent for children whose parents are away for long periods of time. It could also be an excellent springboard geography discussions. My second graders enjoyed it.

If you enjoy giving your children beautifully illustrated books with delightful, entertaining and informative content, this is a wonderful addition to your child's library.

"Down Buttermilk Lane" is a great way to introduce your child to the Amish way of life. Through it's colorful pictures and colloquial writing, it transports you to Buttermilk Lane, a road that really exists.

My son loves riding in the car and leafing through the pictures as we pass Zimmerman's store, the Ebersol Chair Shop,and many beautiful farms in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

A beautiful book in every way.

The artwork in this book is breath taking. It is set in fall and the paintings are stunning. I was looking for a book that explains a little about PA Dutch/Amish life, and this book just exemplifies it, it doesn't explain it. They use some scattered PA Dutch sayings and words, and it walks you through a typical, ?non-farming? day. The family takes their horse and buggy to go shopping at the general store, they visit a friend at the farmers' market, and have dinner. At night, the cows still need milking. It's a nice gentle story, but I would love to know why there is a very prominent car displayed in one of the paintings, on an Amish farm??? My son wanted to know why, and I couldn't explain it. This is a nice gentle story about the PA Dutch way of life.

In author Boyd Thomas London's first novel, 'Creeton', he addressed the stresses of the post-9-11 world, and looked for visions of hope in the midst of stress and terror by developing a classic tale of friendship and cooperation with a task of saving the world - that story begins and ends with two friends, John Brown and Dave Miller, two young men who have an adventure of interplanetary dimensions inadvertently thrust upon them while out on a hiking trip. They are transported to a different place, one where many of the lessons of earth, and many of the failings, have not come about, but where some of the experiences of the human race are now needed.

In this second novel, Boyd Thomas London keeps the youth-oriented focus on the people represented in the novel - the main character here is Joe Blake, a college football player with a life that is almost too good to be true, and a very promising future. This would seem to be cut short when he is involved in an automobile accident that leaves him comatose. This would seem to be the end of the story, but in fact is not, for it is in the dream world that is generated by Blake's comatose condition that the real story of this novel is played out.

Boyd Thomas London lives in Idaho; a distant relative of the famous American writer Jack London, the ideas of adventure and the geography of the West are always implicit if not explicit in the younger London's writing as it was in the elder's. The idea of dream wandering and dream journeys holding importance for young people is a significant one among many Native America peoples, which has influenced London's writing style here.

In the narrative, we encounter Joe Blake's real family, and the real-time events occurring after the accident (the trip to the hospital, etc.) as well as the dream-happenings that Blake's subconscious/unconscious mind navigates. It is a vivid and eventful imagination, with creatures live and created, colourful and exotic, often surreal, but always leading Blake forward.
There are some lessons here. The first is of the importance of family and community that transcends lesser concerns in life - one can imagine that Joe Blake's awakening is similar to that of the unconscious Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, having learned much on her imaginative, dream-wandering journey to carry back home, too.

Perhaps the best audience for this tale would be young people - mid-to-late teenagers, to be precise. Like his earlier novel, the language here is easy to read and understand, without too many technical terms. The plot development is for the most part linear, with some bouncing back and forth between hospital/real-world and dream-sequence. Despite the dream-land aspect, it is without too many psychological twists or subtle aspects to confuse the reader. While this might limit its appeal to those looking for a higher mark of literature akin to the elder author Jack London, it does get the younger London's message through rather more clearly about the important things in life.

This is the second novel for Boyd Thomas London, who is still hard at work both on his college degree (as well as another novel, perhaps?). London is a writer of promise.

Genre: Teen/ Fantasy Adventure
DREAM WANDERER
AUTHOR: BOYD THOMAS LONDON
Joe Blake is a typical teenage American. He plays football, loves his family and is active in his community until a drunk driver changes all of that. As Joe's family sits an anxious vigil by his hospital bedside, Joe is tossed into a dreamlike state in a world of strange creatures, robots, purple and red vegetation and monsters. In this dream state, Joe must make his way through the seemingly never- ending dangers to Princess Joni's castle and the portal. If he doesn't make it in time, he will remain in the land of the Dream Wanderer.
This book will have great appeal to young people. It reads like a video game, action packed, exciting and a constant battle of hero versus evil. The plot is fast paced and holds the readers attention. Vivid descriptions of the scenery place the reader firmly in the land of the Dream Wanderer. The characters are colorful and unusual. The author uses simple sentence structure and vocabulary, making it an easy read for most youngsters.
Creeton teen sci-fi novel, the first by author Boyd Thomas London, promoted world peace and unity. This second novel demonstrates the pain and agony an innocent victim and his family face as a result of a DUI accident. It is his hope that these two novels will make their way into the Accelerated Reading Program in high schools. Allbooks Reviews is a great supporter of all programs that encourage reading and literacy in our schools. We wish him much success with this venture and would like to add our personal endorsement. Highly recommended for the young people in your life.Reviewer: Shirley Roe
Title: Dream Wanderer
Author: Boyd Thomas London
Publisher: Publish America
ISBN: 1-4137-3900-8
Pages. 107

This is a fantastic book for parents,teachers, or anyone who likes to make crafts. Moms and teachers especially are always looking for ways to make crafts that don't cost much. This book shows you how to make really cute and original projects out of things we would recycle (or throw away!). I recommend it highly!

I got this book for my 5 year old daughter and 5 year old niece. They both love to make things and loved the items in this book. My daughter wanted to make so many things for each holiday, we didn't come close to making all of them. There are some items that are a bit lame, but the others make the book worth it. I only had to buy a few low cost craft items like felt squares, pipe cleaners, ribbon, and the like to make the items in the book. Everything else we had in the house (egg cartons, construction paper, material scraps, ...).
If you have "crafty kids" this is a good idea book for them. It would also be good for preschools, elementary schools, and churches.

Dr. Krebs has done the worlds of psychology, sociology, cultural anthropology, and even business a tremendous favor with her highly original concept of Edgewalkers; those people originating from a distinct ethnic culture yet successfully (repeat: successfully) living and working within a different dominant culture. This book is a must-read for students, teachers, and lay persons interested in cultural diversity issues at any level.

As an organizational psychologist interested in the ways in which people productively live and play together, I am continually amazed at the lack of understanding and tolerance within our contemporary workplace. In a greater sense, aren¹t all of us members not only of the dominant culture, but also existing within one or more subcultures, sometimes voluntary, sometimes not? Dr. Krebs shines a laser beam on our contemporary cultural soup, teases out the active ingredients, and makes her case compelling for recognizing those contemporary humans that successfully walk the edge.

Rex Walters, Ph.D.

When I scanned thorough the summary of this book, I knew I had to read it. It seemed to me to be a book written about me...until I actually read it. Krebs repeatedly brings up examples of people who are well...non-white. I am white and a product of several cultures, yet most of her examples centered on Asians, Africans, Hispanics. Which reminds me of many people and institutions' definition of diversity: "bring colored people in for window dressing". I have a friend who is born in Thailand but has absolutely no connection to the culture as he was brought up in an upper-class Western European household. In college, he was pestered with constant invitations to the Asian students' club who urged him "to explore his heritage." I bring this example to illustrate the disappointment I felt after I had finished Krebs' book. She rushes through testimonials and experiences (which seem somehow incomplete and clinical) into point-by-point "suggestions" for reconciling a multicultural person's identities and patterns of thought/behavior. Still, I could not wrangle a meaningful conclusion out of this book...it stirred my emotions but did not deliver.

Kids ages 4-7 will relish this fun picturebook story of a pet turtle who lives to listen to Emma talk about far-away places, and longs to see them. Trouble begins when he decides to embark on his own exciting journey away from home, only to find that adventure isn't quite as exciting as he'd imagined - and a lot more scary.

Caldecott Medal winning author Eve Bunting is a natural born storyteller. Whether or not her birth in Ireland has anything to do with that is immaterial as to date she has penned over 200 books for young readers. Many parents today may well remember having Bunting's books in their libraries as children and eagerly buy them for their own youngsters. Here's one more to enchant young eyes and ears.

The author might well have titled this story The Traveling Turtle because this small reptile lives in a pen in Emma's backyard yet he longs to see the world. He's very fond of Emma as she visits him often, rubs his head, and brings him treats.

However, the tales she has read to him about faraway places - India, Africa - have whetted his appetite to see for himself. So, one morning he digs a hole under the wire of his pen and begins his journey. He's amazed at what he sees but as turtles move very, very slowly, how far did he go?

Marsha Winborn's gentle watercolor illustrations are a perfect companion for this story of a globe trotting pet.

- Gail Cooke

The author does an excellent job sharing the realities of the persecuted church in layman's terms. Not only does he inform but he challenges and explains the many complications of helping the persecuted church. It is an informative read for anyone but a must read for all Christians.

Most of us have heard the stories in our churches --- stories about the suffering endured by Christians around the world because of their faith. We call these believers the "persecuted church," and many of us would like to do something, anything, to help them out. But before we make a move, we would all do well to set aside a few hours and read Ronald Boyd-MacMillan's FAITH THAT ENDURES, one of the most comprehensive books about religious persecution that I have ever come across. It truly is "the essential guide to the persecuted church."

Boyd-MacMillan, a writer with Open Doors International, a ministry that assists persecuted believers, has been reporting on and ministering to suffering Christians for some 20 years. In that time, he has acquired not only a wealth of information but also a wealth of wisdom about what persecution is, who is being persecuted and why, and what the rest of us can, and should not, do about it. Part investigative journalism, part exposé, part rallying cry, his book covers an extraordinary amount of territory.

That territory includes an examination of what persecution looks like in places such as Muslim Kurdistan, Hindu India and communist China, among others; an extensive and thorough discussion on the legal and biblical definitions of persecution (the author's definition: "any hostility, experienced from the world, as a result of one's identification with Christ...[including] hostile feelings, attitudes, words, and actions"); a description of the primary places where persecution is found today and the forms that persecution takes; analysis of the lessons we can learn from the persecuted; and a vitally important section on how we can help the persecuted church that in my view should be required reading for anyone who wants to help, especially those who feel called to share the gospel in areas that are hostile to the Christian faith.

As the author continually emphasizes, the issues and situations are often so complex that well-intended Christians who do not understand the complexities and nuances often end up doing more harm than good --- and in the aftermath, the already persecuted believers end up paying an even higher price.

Throughout, the author offers anecdotal examples of the varieties of persecution that exist, from outright assassination to loss of family support as a result of a person's conversion to Christ or Christian activities. But while so many other books focus on either those who were martyred or those who triumphed, this one gives equal time to those who, without any recognition, have endured unimaginable hardship and cruelty. "If all you focus on is the story of the martyrs, you will never understand the story of the persecuted church," Boyd-MacMillan writes. "Martyrdom is the dazzling tip of the iceberg that hides the dark bulk of the body."

FAITH THAT ENDURES should prove to be a valuable addition to the library of any pastor, seminarian, missionary or mission candidate, as well as those Christians whose eyes and hearts have been opened to the plight of those who are oppressed because of their faith. Highly recommended.

--- Reviewed by Marcia Ford.

I was surprised at how good this book really was. It deals with the George Washington we rarely learn about but whose existence was the basis for all the other accomplishments he achieved. George Washington owned a plantation in Virginia near the present day Washington D.C. at Mount Vernon. There he used his education to develop better farming techniques. When the troubles with England began, George already had ideas to make the American colonies more independent from England and had been implementing them. His belief that the colonies could do better without the intervention of England was a key idea that the founding fathers stood by when times were tough. George was able to put his ideas into practice and had experience to do better.

George Washington, best known for serving as the first president of the United States and as commander in chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolution, also spent many years of his life working as a farmer. As a young man, George first leased the large estate of Mount Vernon from a family member after he returned from fighting in the French and Indian War. He studied the best books on agriculture available from England and began to experiment with how different seeds grew in Mount Vernon's relatively hard clay soil and warm climate. George also thought carefully about to improve the efficiency of farm production at Mount Vernon. With his innovations, he developed a new plow that could also plant seeds, and he designed a new kind of barn that used horses to separate grains of wheat from the stalks.

This unique book offers children a fresh perspective on the economic contributions that George Washington made to the United States through his role as farmer. The book does an excellent job in teaching children about several important concepts in economics, including natural resources, human resources, and innovation. Neither the author nor the illustrator shy away from the fact that George Washington relied extensively on slaves to perform most of the farm work. This book may present children with one of their first views of George Washington as an estate farmer and slave owner, thus presenting a valuable opportunity to talk about the role of slavery in the South during the American Revolution.