Bryant Books

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.

This book is too funny for words--which is probably why the pictures are so hysterical! I can't believe someone finally wrote a book on this topic that doesn't sound like a medical encyclopedia. It just helps you laugh at what you really can't escape, and so many women will experience. Having this book sure helps you feel like you can live through this and survive--but I do have one warning: be careful where you read it, because we almost got thrown out of the store we were laughing so hard! I'm buying several copies for my friends. They can have a portable fan in one hand and Leigh Anne's book in the other!

It's hard to type with tears running down my face from laughing so hard!

This book arrived in today's mail and it's fabulous! I can't wait to share it with friends and encourage them to buy it for their friends and relatives. It's hard to say which is my favorite because most of them could have been based on my personal story, but I must admit I was rather fond of the one that said, "You wear a miniskirt and high heels to buy your mom's bladder control underwear so the cashiers don't think they're for you.". My 88-year-old mom just moved into a nursing home so they now provide items like this. But I clearly remember a cell phone conversation I had with my mom about a year ago from the Depends aisle in Walgreen's confirming exactly what she wanted in terms of size, absorbency, brand, etc. It's hard to be heard when you're whispering into a cell phone to a woman who's hearing is starting to go along with a few other systems!

Keep up the good work. You have so much to offer to the world in ways that make people's lives brighter. You certainly brighten mine!

This book and all others in her collection are the greatest series for horse lovers. And the books cover far more than just horses and riding. They cover the long span between horse, rider, friendship, helpfulness, and knowledge. This book is for anyone who just wants to learn something new in each book.

I loved this book. When The Saddle club go to the race track, Lisa finds it a great opportunity to practice being a photographer, until a picture she took could solve a mystery! Will The Saddle club get caught before they could tell anyone, or will they solve another mystery at the race track.

This book is a completely worthwhile buy! It gives ofcourse statistical information, mainly in a map form about the threats and about the risk which the world's reefs face. It doesn't catalog the amount or rate of degradation, since this is not fully known. However the book gives information on the types of reefs, real case studies of reefs and of problems faced by reefs.
The book is an easy read and the information presented in both map and picture form is very inviting.
I reccommend this book for students studying reefs/ conservation, or anyone just interested in reefs. A good addition to this book as well is Coral Reefs, ecology, threats and conservation by Charles Sheppard.

This book is a completely worthwhile buy! It gives ofcourse statistical information, mainly in a map form about the threats and about the risk which the world's reefs face. It doesn't catalog the amount or rate of degradation, since this is not fully known. However the book gives information on the types of reefs, real case studies of reefs and of problems faced by reefs.
The book is an easy read and the information presented in both map and picture form is very inviting.
I reccommend this book for students studying reefs/ conservation, or anyone just interested in reefs. A good addition to this book as well is Coral Reefs, ecology, threats and conservation by Charles Sheppard.

I always feel a little bit inadequate when I review a book of poetry or a book about a poet, even if it's for kids. I feel like I'm encroaching on someone else's territory or something. Like I'm some kind of verse-based interloper trespassing where I am ignorant. And the feeling only gets worse when I'm dealing with a person with whom I am not truly familiar. Fortunately, if I ever needed a book to give me the skinny on a poet in terms even an eight-year-old could appreciate, "A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams" fits the bill. I'm not ashamed to admit that I didn't know even the smallest smidgen of a fact surrounding Mr. Williams before I started this book (well . . . maybe I'm a little ashamed). But this book has melded text and image alongside fact and narrative so seamlessly, you'll walk around for days wondering why more picture book bios aren't written about the great poets of the past. There is no good answer to this question.

What makes one poet's life any more noteworthy than another's? Sometimes it is found in the very ordinariness of their life. William Carlos Williams, Willie to his friends, was an inquisitive boy with an ear for poetry, both in nature and in the words of the great linguists of the past. He wrote poems in his spare time, honing his craft, but when practical matters were at hand he trained as a doctor and set up a practice in Rutherford, New Jersey. Over the years he would continue to work on his poems, shaping them when he was able. An extensive Timeline and Author's Note at the end go on to explain how William finally was recognized as a great poet in his sixties. An Illustrator's Note explains how Melissa Sweet found a way to illustrate the book. A small bibliography is included for further reading (with websites and a suggested video) and nine poems (three excerpted) are visible on the endpapers for closer examination, though they appear throughout the book in one form or another.

I was talking with someone the other day about the essential puzzle of the picture book biography. Throwing aside the concerns about the millions of subjects out there who have led less than entirely child-friendly lives (for example I suspect you won't be seeing the picture book bio of Robert Evans anytime soon), there's also the puzzle of what to tell and how much. When you've only 32 pages with which to work, how do you cull a life into its most essential moments? Now add to all of this the problems that come with artists. You couldn't write a bio of Andy Warhol without looking at his paintings, could you? You couldn't mention Michelangelo without getting in a shot of David, right? But do you include ALL their famous works, or just a sample? And if it's just a sample, does that really and truly reflect who the artist is? If we're a sum of our parts, why on earth would you pick and choose amongst them? Now in the case of William Carlos Williams, Jen Bryant and Melissa Sweet had an advantage. He was a poet? Then the poetry must be everywhere. It should inform every image, appear in the details and borders of the pages. And then, if you want the book to also be practical, you can put a selection of the man's greatest or best-known poems on the endpapers for easy access. Do it wrong and you've got yourself a noxious muddle. Do it right and you've a delicate balance between fact and art. And Bryant and Sweet are definitely in the latter category.

Bryant's decision here was to tell only as much of William's life as would fit within her story. The focus isn't on related rote facts about a great man (though there are plenty of those at the end of the book if needed) but to show the process through which a person becomes a poet. The story embodies the idea of living and breathing your art, even when you have other practical day-to-day considerations to attend to. It's not a very romantic notion, that of a man holding down a steady job AND writing poems on the sly, but it is a rather inspiring one. It suggests that no matter how ordinary a life is it can be made extraordinary by its subject's appreciation of that ordinariness. Williams wrote poems about plums and chickens and wheelbarrows for a reason, and Bryant has perfectly hit upon why that is and how he found a way to make each poem, "find its own special shape on the page."

In her Illustrator's Note Melissa Sweet writes, "Every project furthers an artist, but this book was a true gift." She is implying that the gift was to her, but I'd quibble with that and say it was instead a gift to us. I look at another of Sweet's 2008 publications, "Tupelo Rides the Rails" and while it's a touching tale, the art is certainly different from Bryant's tale. In "A River of Words" Sweet goes wild. She illustrates book covers and ephemera, report cards and title pages. Words are handwritten on scraps of paper, or stuck together like exalted ransom notes. They gleam gold or burn blue, and the images of Williams are fit in so that instead of being lost in the whirl of words, they stand out and grab your eye. In a sense this book reminded me of "The Boy Who Loved Words" by Roni Schotter but with a softer, more practical edge. Words really are everywhere in this art. They're embedded in bowls of plums and writ large within the roofs of homes. Visually, the book pairs rather well with another small publisher title from 2008, "The Storyteller's Candle" by Lucia Gonzalez. I sometimes feel that mixed media is becoming more and more popular with artists in this age of computers, technology and smooth shiny gadgets. And certainly cut magazines and newspapers are cropping up in everything from Carin Berger's, "The Little Yellow Leaf" to this, Sweet's latest.

I do not think that it is a stretch to say that a lot of kids get their first introduction to William Carlos Williams through Sharon Creech's "Love That Dog". I do not think that it is a stretch to say that a lot of parents, teachers, and librarians probably ALSO discover Mr. Williams that way (though most would be loathe to admit it). So perhaps a unit on poetry or an assignment in conjunction with Poetry Month would pair beautifully with Bryant and Sweet's newest book. Picture book biographies of poets can be tricky, difficult things. They demand an artistic sensibility entirely of their own making. Both Jen Bryant and Melissa Sweet have found their own ways of dealing with the challenges that come with such a book as this. And these solutions when brought together make for a visual and audible stunner. Kudos to everyone involved. Kudos all around.

William Carlos Williams is one of those dead American poets about whom I have always had vague-yet-positive sentiments. I believe that some short-time high school girlfriend admired him a lot. I think that I've also seen him listed as an influence on the back of some musician's record sleeve, or perhaps he is mentioned in a young adult novel. And I am confident that I have briefly encountered his work both in a class (undoubtedly, amidst some anthology of poems) and amongst the reading comprehension questions on some long-forgotten standardized test.

And so, as the result of some influence or other stored in the recesses of my brain, I react positively to the name William Carlos Williams and was thus pleased to discover last night that the UPS guy had delivered a copy of A RIVER OF WORDS, a picturebook biography of the poet.

I was even more pleased by the true story I found within the book.

"But when the other boys went inside,
Willie stayed outside..."

William Carlos Williams was not one to text message, play video games, or hang out in the mall. (Not that those diversions existed during his lifetime, but you know what I mean.) Instead, he was one of those kids who wandered in the woods, using his senses to absorb details of the world, and then pouring out his visions into poems.

Of course, writing poetry is oftentimes just slightly more lucrative than is writing Richie's Picks, so Williams's mom persuaded him to become a family doctor. And the wonderful thing is that he became friends with some brilliant and artsy students at the university, which helped him to not lose sight of his first love -- poetry -- when he grew up and subsequently went around doctoring:

"On his prescription pads, he scribbled a few lines
whenever and wherever he could.
In those precious times,
the rhythm of the river he had rested beside
as a child seemed to guide him. Like the water
that sometimes ran slow, smooth, and steady,
and other times came rushing in a hurried flood,
Willie's lines flowed across the page."

I love how the book's illustrations are filled with words, as if Willie could see lines of poetry splashing in the river or scrolling down the side of a patient's house. Written in verse, the text throughout is brief in word count yet full of the essence of the poet's life. A two-page timeline follows the story, while bits and pieces of his poems decorate the endpages

In the same way that I was influenced as a child by THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF THOMAS JEFFERSON -- the book that taught me how one can seem to always be doing ten different things at the same time -- A RIVER OF WORDS will be an empowering revelation to creative young adolescents who are beginning to toy with ideas of what they might do in their lives when they grow up.

Entertaining from start to finish. A must have for anyone in sales of any kind, but particularly in real estate. I am not a sales person but I learned a few things that will help me in my customer service.

I laughed out loud at the circumstances and so very real life lessons! Pam and Rich have skillfully brought business principles into real-world examples.Do your business a favor and read this book!

Sometimes in life, we have to let go of our bad bitter past and move forward. Once we can banish the past, we will renew our inner spirit and enjoy life. This is what Evon Lewis did. She states: "I do know there is a God and one day. He will hear my cries of pain and will extend his arms out guiding me in the right direction. I realize that most blessing and gifts given to people are often taken for granted and they are not appreciated. God only knows that if given a chance I would cherish that one moment of time of happiness that you or anyone had. I would hold it as a guide and carry it with me through the storms of life."(Pg 15) Evon Lewis Bryant in this Raw Book without editing by the publisher Xlibris, she tells her pains, grief, abuse, neglect and hardships. She causes the reader to follow her down this bleak sad past. You will cry. You will grind your teeth with anger. You will be outraged that a child at such a tender young age had to put down her dolls and function as an adult. A shocking true story,and you will not want to put this book down.

THIS BOOK IS RAW, PAINFUL AND REVEALING. NO CHILD OR CHILDREN SHOULD HAVE LIVED OR HAD TO ENDURE IT. NO ADULT SHOULD HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED OR WITNESSED IT. HOW DID GOD'S SUN RISE AND SHINE DURING THIS TIME? HOW DID RAINBOWS GLISTEN IN THE SKY? I DIDN'T KNOW SO I CRY FOR YOU THE CHILDREN AND ADULT. I GRIEVE AGAIN FOR THE DEATH OF THE LITTLE BOYS AND GIRLS AS MEN AND WOMEN (JOE, LAWRENCE AND SANDRA). I CELEBRATE FOR YOUR SURVIVAL, PERSEVERANCE, STRENGTH AND LIFE. YOU ARE A BUTTERFLY, NEVER ACCEPT THE COCOON AGAIN, NEVER AGAIN BE A VICTIM. CHRIST HAS ALLOWED YOU TO BE VICTORIOUS AGAINST TREMENDOUS ODDS. AUNT LIZ