Bryant Books

Jack Sprat, Low Fat is the best healthy lifestyle book (including a very conscientious 28-day example complete with "wart hog days"!) that we have ever found (I am the mom, not the 12 year old!). The authors masterfully reveal the culprits that create un-healthy eating habits, and address the issues as they pertain to the informed middle-class American culture. They soundly convince the reader of the dire importance of eating right. Even with a health background, I find that the older we get, the less time there is to committ to even our best lofty intentions of healthy changes! Bryant Stamford and his co-auther R.N. Becca Coffin do NOT endorse or promote any quick-fix or product, but prevail with undisputable common sense and digestable physiological facts the importance of living healthfully. I applaud this book! If you are an informed individual, but still looking for that perfect healthy-lifestyle resource, then look no further. You will find this book in a class of its own. I hope that you will appreciate it as much as I do.

This no-fat cookbook/diet plan/informational book is full of useful information presented in a way that is easily understood. There is a light-heartedness to the approach that keeps the information from being tedious or dull. A good guide to more heathful eating and overall lifestyle.

I read the book The Junction Boys: How Ten Days in Hell with Bear Bryant Forged a Championship Team, written by Jim Dent. The book is a nonfiction book about the legendary coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and his Texas A&M football team. In my own words the theme of this book is, don't ever give up, no matter how stressful anything is, don't ever give up. Bear Bryant is known as one of the greatest coaches ever. One question you could ask about this book is, is why does Bryant always state that his 1-9 Texas A&M team his favorite team he has every coached?
One hot August day in 1954, two busses sped through a two-lane highway. Those buses were on their way to Junction, Texas where the players would soon arrive at the infamous dirt field. The field was filled with rocks, cactus, dust, and gnarled mesquite trees. The Texas A&M football program has been in a dreadful drought. Coach Bryant will eventually turn that around but at the same time he would be killing them. He came to Texas to teach a football team how to play his kind of football. Hard, fast, smash mouth football. He pushed his players through the toughest drills you could think of. Every night at least one or two people couldn't stand the throwing up anymore, they would try and escape the dreadful 10-day training camp back to College Station. The many men who survived defiantly did not regret it, because the Aggie's would top the rankings and be the nations best.
I thought this book is very intense, here is just one bit of evidence, "Practice is worse than hell when we don't get any water breaks." This quote is very intriguing and shows me that Coach Bryant doesn't give a damn about his players. It all matters to him in the end of the week on game day. The book overall was a good book, I thought the book explained in great detail about how tough the practices were. It's nothing that a TV show or a movie could explain. On the other hand I thought the author could have explained in more detail about the games that they played in. In the end I thought the book gave a good amount of information and facts and that the information made the book better. If you are a football fan, I strongly recommend this book to you. The junction Boys is a great learning experience for not only football players but for everyone.

After watching The Junction Boys on ESPN, I knew I had to read this book. Of course the movie barely scratched the surface of the story. Jim Dent does an excellent job of bringing the historical events of Aggie football in the early 50s to life. I'm not a big fan of college football, and know very little about Texas A&M; however, after reading this book I wanted to know more about Paul Bryant and college football. You don't have to be a football fan to enjoy this book. Coach Bryant's philosophy of life would serve us all well--hell, he should have been president. Of the 30+ players that survived Coach Bryant's 10 day boot camp from Hell, many went on to successful careers in business, football, and coaching. The success of his students is testament to his abilities as a leader, teacher, and coach. Jim Dent makes it palatable in this book.

I recently purchased The Undefeated by Jim Dent, which is a story of the Oklahoma Sooners, and have found it equally enjoyable. Jim Dent is a great writer, and I'm thankful to have discovered him.

it's really Cool remembering Greatness in it's early stages.Kobe Bryant has gotten better&better with each passing season&you are seeing a Guy that is truly gonna Leave His Mark on the Game before His Day is done.Kobe Bryant Is one of the Baddest Players in the League Today&The Guy is a Champion&He had a Dream at being the Best He could&the scary part we haven't even got to His Prime&Peak.Stay Tune for Number #8.

This author(Wayne R. Coffey), really got to the point. This book told us about the "REAL KOBE BRYANT" and the "ON-THE-COURT KOBE BRYANT. If there is another Kobe Bryant book for kids, it is nothing like this one! Thanks for reading my review on Wayne R. Coffey's biography on "KOBE BRYANT."

The illustrations are wonderful. I am taking my 9-year-old grand daughter to Arizona and New Mexico for vacation. I am not Native American, but was born in New Mexico. I want Sky to learn about the ways of the Native American and the beauty of that area. This will be a great read on our trip.

Wonderfully illustrated by Michelle Tsosie Sisneros, Kokopelli's Gift is a charming and highly recommended fable by Kathleen Bryant about a famous female figure of Native American Pueblo lore known as Kokopelli the Flute Player. The extraordinary color paintings enhance the simple yet effective narrative to bring this engaging story to life for young readers age 5 to 10.

I completely agree with Rachel. This is definitely the best BSG book by far. The situations are more difficult, but Annie Bryant stays true to the realistic plots that she writes so well and you feel like the things the characters go through could really happen.

Although it was a bit strange being introduced to Chelsea, an overweight girl who is very lonely in her back-of-the-classroom-alone type of life, this late in the series, I enjoyed her presence in this book. I hope we see more of her.

I also liked that we learned about a few more characters. Basically the only people we have known would be (obviously) the BSG, all of the parents and teachers, Dillon, Yurt, Trentini twins, Nick, the "Queens of Mean" Anna and Joline, and Kiki Underwood. It seems like quite a few people that I've typed it all, LOL, but really, it's not, and I'm glad that we learned about a few more people, even if their introduction to the story was brief.

One quick question--every single Beacon Street Girl was asked to dance (excluding Avery, of course, for reasons that you'll find out once you read the book)! Is it really that easy for the Abigail Adams Junior High girls? Uh, probably not. Just a thought.

Anyhow, in a nutshell, the Beacon Street Girls are awesome. Great for relaxing over spring break.

I think this is THE best BSG book there is so far. it was definately the most intense. i loved reading this book. personally, it's my all time fav. it's a story about 5 girls who go through hard times, literally painful times, and happy times. you get some great laughs in there, too. it's "inspirational".

-Rachel(Ray)

You really can't go wrong with SS! All the books and movies are wholesome and entertaining. I love reading them to my daughter and watching the movies with her. Actually, my son loves them too but would never admit it to his friends (he's 9). Good thing he has a little sister ;)

Cute book with a good story line and morals. I would recommend this and all other Strawberry Shortcake to all those with children who like Strawberry Shortcake.

What fun the authors must have had in writing this book! As they did in Volume I (1836-1936) Ms Bresenhan and Ms. Puentes give us quality color pictures of Texas quilts, pictures of the quilters and stories about the quilts and the makers. After seeing the quilts and reading the stories you feel as if you know these Texas women who expressed their artistic creativity through the medium of quilt-making.

Included in volume II (1936-1986) are quilts by Pamela Studsill, a two time recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Visual Arts Fellowship. Also featured is the "Pele" quilt by fiber artist Beth Kennedy. And of course there are also some very traditional quilts from the 30's and 40's and delightful innovative work from the 70's and 80's.

I cannot believe someone hasn't reviewed this book yet. It is wonderfully charming with beautiful, large color pictures of 63 quilts made in Texas between the years of 1836 and 1936. Accompanying each quilt is also a picture of the quiltmaker and a page about her life and quilt.

The stories of the women are as interesting as their quilts. One story tells of a woman alone with her baby, hearing the Indians circling her log cabin. She spins all night to listen to the whistle of her spinning wheel so as not to be afraid. What wonderful foremothers we had, who left us a legacy of their courage and industry as well as their beautiful handiwork.

Traits you could use to describe me:
1) An actress
2) Top favorite actress is Audrey Hepburn
3) Dream roles include Eliza Doolittle in "My Fair Lady"
4) Loves classic movies (and quoting from movies)

The main character in Maeve on the Red Carpet shares each of these traits with me. As I read, it was a little startling - I mean, is this author stalking me or something?!

If you have any of the above things in common with me and Maeve, you will probably like this book. It's really cute, fun, and fast-paced (albeit predictable). The book is pure fluff - if Harry Potter is a four-course meal, this is only cotton candy. But since I adore stories about filming and aspiring actresses, I adored this book. Especially since the heroine and I had so much in common. ;)

The Beacon Street Girls series is part of a brand designed to empower "tweens", and help them with the transition from "toys and boys." The books feature five middle school age best friends, all from diverse backgrounds, and with distinct interests. They go to school on Beacon Street in Brookline, MA.

The books are (according to the publisher) "shaped by leading experts in adolescent development and current research on how to positively impact girls' self-esteem." Although I'm generally a bit leery of books that try explicitly to get across a particular message, I like the Beacon Street Girls books. The characters are well-drawn and realistic. They make mistakes, and learn from them. They suffer from pesky younger brothers, difficulty with math, and divorcing parents, among other ordinary tribulations. Despite their differences, they are loyal to each other. And their stories are fun!

This installment, part of a series of "adventure" titles that each feature only one of the five Beacon Street Girls, sends Maeve to movie camp. It reminds me a tiny bit of Noel Streatfeild's books (Theater Shoes, Ballet Shoes, etc., though with quite a bit more privilege). Near the start of what promises to be a boring school vacation week, with all of her friends away, Maeve learns that her father has arranged to host a New York Film Academy film camp in the family's theater. A wealthy sponsor has offered to pay for improvements to the theater, and a famous Hollywood director will be leading the camp. Maeve is over the ceiling thrilled, despite that fact that her annoying younger brother, Sam, will also be attending the camp.

When camp begins, Maeve learns a lot, works hard, and is a bit star-struck by the pampered daughter of the wealthy sponsor (who, in an amusing throwaway joke, knows the famous "Venice Doubletree"). The other kids are more down-to-earth, though the Director's son turns out to have real acting experience. Through her interactions with the other campers, and their parents, Maeve learns some hard lessons about trust, friendship, and betrayal. I must admit that I saw the betrayal coming a mile off, and I think that many readers will, too. But the point isn't so much the betrayal itself, but the way that Maeve reacts to it, and eventually bounces back.

I also enjoyed Maeve's relationship with her little brother. He follows her around with a movie camera and drives her crazy, but also stands by her in unexpected ways. Here's one of my favorite exchanges:

""Good," Sam answered. "Because I think you're the best actress in the whole world!"

I looked at Mom, who just shrugged. Sometimes little brothers could surprise you by saying the nicest thing and make you feel totally guilty for ever thinking of them as an annoying pest. Then other times...

"Last one to the theater's a rotten egg! Haha, that's you, Maeve," Sam suddenly cried."

I think that fans of the BSG books will enjoy this installment. It's nice to have a chance to focus on just one of the girls, and get to know Maeve and her family a bit better. And Maeve is fun to spend time with. She's overly dramatic, and annoyingly obsessed with her appearance, but she's not afraid to work hard or to admit her mistakes. And her genuine enthusiasm for movies is irresistible. The details about how a movie is made are interesting, too, and should be a hit with kids who are film junkies. I give Maeve on the Red Carpet four stars!

This book review was originally published on my blog, Jen Robinson's Book Page, on June 25, 2007.

I had a German professor in college who told our beginning class about a speech delivered by John F. Kennedy in Berlin. Kennedy, wanting to tell the crowd he was one of them, cried out "Ich bin ein Berliner!" It turns out the president was enthusiastically shouting "I am a jelly doughnut!"

All languages have their idiosyncracies, and English is no exception. This book is packed from cover to cover with hilarious (but innocent!) mistakes made with the English language by students trying to learn it. You can open this book to any page and get a good belly laugh. I read it from cover to cover and now I have a stomach ache!

This is a great little book to have on your coffee table, or sitting in your bathroom for your guests to read. It would also make a perfect gift. Everyone will love it! I bought three copies and will probably be buying more soon. If you like to laugh, buy this book!

This is one of the funniest book I ever came across.
I am foreigner myself, and this is amazingly funny, specially when you see what kind of mistakes we all did when we came to this country.

Only one bad side is that no one collected my funny mistakes

it would be this one.

The chapter on House Dougal was the most interesting to me, as it expounded the most extra information while still holding my undivided attention. It should be essential reading for anyone playing a Dougal sidhe.

The chapter on Eiluned wasn't as grand as the one on Dougal, but it was very in-depth, yet didn't betray the feel of the house itself. That's Eilunded for you though... incredibly complex, but not open about their pride of it. Yet again, this should be required reading for any Eiluned noble having trouble with the concept.

The following chapter on Fiona turns it back up a notch or two. It explains things in rather striking detail if I do say so myself. The Fiona aren't exactly "deep", so this didn't tell you what you particularly didn't know, but it MOST ASSUREDLY confirmed your suspicions. Good reading for those interested in (or even opposed to) the house.

The Gwydion chapter that came next was a bit of a disappointment for me. I felt that it lacked the "polished shine" of the first three chapters. It felt as stodgy as the Gwydion themselves... but I do believe that to be the intention.

Last, the chapter on House Liam was handy, but definitely the least polished of them all. It's sad that, in the fifth and final chapter, they decided to drop the ball. It feels rushed, and not in any intentional sense that would reveal something about the house. It's no surprise that typos in spelling and grammar abound in this chapter. It's also missing some of the best sections found in the other chapters. Overall, it is the worst chapter, but still worthy of the read.

My only heart-felt disappointment was the lack of Merits/Flaws for all houses (Gwydion is the only one that I remember seeing them for, but they weren't my main focus admittedly). Other than that, this is a solid read that I would recommend to any Changeling storyteller. This book PROOVES that the nobility aren't all alike!

Always has my family been able to associate with the Sylves {aka Sidhe} and now I own tis book. It is useful information for any storyteller, or any player who wants to know how the local Noble thinks. This book has made a world of differance in my Chronicle.