Burr Books

One of the joys that I have is my mail box.




There are days I open my mail and receive bills, while other days I open packages from Archie, DC, Moonstone, and Graphic Classics. This month, Tom Pomplun has compiled yet another gold standard collection.




The 2nd Edition of Mark Twain includes a delightful new adaptation of "Tom Sawyer Abroad" by Pomplun and George Sellas. I loved the story and art and thought it was a great continuation of Tom Sawyer. Tom and Huck in Egypt certainly could have got into a lot more trouble, but the going home to the States for a corn cob pipe is hilarious!




As the notes in the back state about "The Mysterious Stranger", it certainly exhibits the cynical edge of Twain during his later years. Compelling, yet, it draws on the tenants of atheism and could be used by theological cynics today.




Other stories in the volume include "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County", "A Dog's Tale", "Is He Living or Is He Dead?", and two clever advice shorts to girls. As a father of two daughters, I wish I had the wisdom and wit Twain had about him. However, smoking is something I don't have any problems with! Just don't book me any comet vacations in the near future either.




Thank you for an introduction to the diverse work of Mark Twain. This is one of your strongest volumes to date.




Check out www.graphicclassics.com for more information on this great line of books.




Tim Lasiuta

Mark Twain is undoubtedly America's "Great Man of Letters." A complicated author, he flowed easily through humor, satire, psychological horror, politics, religion, and pretty much any other subject imaginable. He was able to hold up a dark mirror to society, and stare unflinchingly at the organizations, traditions, and political and moral decay that always threaten to drown a civilization. And he spun a great yarn.

He is a great candidate for the Graphics Classics series, offering a wealth of short stories and witticisms to inspire illustrators to create, adapt and partner with the great author to produce some original works. Even his shortest story packs a solid wallop, and the one page gems are as good as the more lengthy pieces.

This updated edition brings back some of the great yarns from the first edition, with several of the smaller pieces cleared away to make way for a grand adventure staring the irrepressible Tom Sawyer and friends.

Included in this collection are:

Tom Sawyer Abroad - By far Twain's most famous and enduring character, most of us only know him from "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and "Huck Finn", but he actually made quite a few appearances. This is a Jules Verne inspired tale of Tom, Huck and Jim commandeering a flying machine and heading off for Africa. Illustrated by George Sellas, this adaptation captures the raucous spirit and deeper wisdom inherent in the character.

The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County - Possibly the most famous tale in the collection, it is given a straight-forward comic book style adaptation. I vaguely remembered reading this story in Elementary school, and it was a nice way to be re-introduced to it.

A Dog's Tale - Without a doubt the stand-out piece in the book, and possibly the best achievement in the entire Graphic Classics series. A stunning adaptation by Lance Tooks adds an additional element to this sad story of a devoted dog and the family with which it lives. The true power of words and pictures is put on display in this adaptation.

Advice to Little Girls - An anthology of witticisms each with a different illustrator, revealing the dual-nature of little girls. Sugar and Spice, Naughty and Nice.

The Facts Concerning the Recent Carnival of Crime in Connecticut - Twain battles to defeat his own conscience, an intolerable bother since the day he was born. His conscience thinks it is up for the battle...

A Curious Pleasure Excursion - Another powerful adaptation, William L. Brown provides woodblock illustrations to illustrate Twain's advertisement for a luxury trip aboard the Comet Coggia!

Is He Living or is He Dead? - Simon Gane lends his old-fashioned style to a tale of artistic fame and true talent, as four painters conspire to gain wealth from poverty. The only condition is that one of their number must die in order to become famous.

The Mysterious Stranger - Adapted by Richard Geary, a regular of the Graphics Classics series, this story features three young boys who meet a mysterious stranger. The happy visitor announces himself as Satan, and proceeds to show the three boys the true nature of a happy life. Only the dead and insane are free from the world's troubles.

John Stockwell's work as seen in this remarkable book is beautiful. Be prepared to develop a very strong desire to own one of Stockwell's paintings.

Maximum visual pleasure from this book of stunning landscapes.
As an artist, I have never felt such an affinity with another fellow painter. John made me want to change my whole style of painting completely to dare to capture, if only in minute portions, his magic. This book has never left my sight for the last two months. Stockwell gives a new meaning to abstraction.
Hooray that someone can see landscapes in big, sweeping blocks of color.

I bought this set of CD's for my 80 yr old mother who is blind. She has found much joy in listening to these CD's. I have now purchased the next set "Firstborn" and she is enjoying them as well. Please hurry with the next set.....she's anticipating the further adventures of the Baxter family.

This is the series that saved me on our 13 hour car trip (one way!)with three kids, a mouse and a guinea pig in the vehicle. I had bought this audio book originally to help me stay focused during work-outs. Vacation time interruped my high goals, as we listened intently to the ongoings of the Baxter family. It's family friendly, showing how adults make mistakes but there is always a way back to God. It includes Bible quotes, is inspirational and leaves you feeling hopeful.

This is a well crafted men's adventure that women can relate to because of the love interest and strong, likeable characters who, while above average physically and mentally, have flaws just like the rest of us. The varied locales are described so vividly that you think you're actually there and the plot twists and turns until the unbelieveable outcome. It is a little too technical in some places but that just adds to its quirkiness and enjoyability. I hope Nuetzel turns this into a series. It is a good read.

The Low January Sun marks the debut of a gifted writer in the classic tech-adventure genre and with truly exciting results. Nuetzelfs finely crafted characters are people I would like to know. He lets us share their thoughts, fears and foibles while turning them into completely believeable and vulnerable humans. Steven Burr could be your brother, your best man or your best friend. He is driven by a selfless desire for wrong to be right, for the criminal to be vanquished and for the victim to be made whole.

Just when I thought I had the plot figured out, it skidded on two wheels and took off down another unknown road. The reader is whisked from place to place, even half way around the world, while the sticky and less than legal situation continues to deteriorate for Steve and his friends. I wonft spoil the ending. Itfll make your head spin.

I recommend this book because it is a thrilling kindadventure. I didn't want to put it down, as it was an excitingbook.The greatest thing is that I'am doing a book report on this book. The ages I recommend are 8yrs and above.I'm in fourth grade and I'm 10 years old.

I recommend this book because it is a thrilling kind adventure. I didn't want to put it down, as it was an exciting book.The greatest thing is that I'am doing a book report on this book. The ages I recommend are 8yrs and above.I'm in fourth grade and I'm 10 years old.

Diehard fans of Nancy Drew books will definitely want to add this one to their collection. Although it is a novelization of the movie plot, it is written in the style of the actual Nancy Drew mystery series--having not seen the movie yet, I didn't feel like I was reading a script, it is a full-fledged Nancy Drew mystery story, with all the usual suspects, including Bess, George, Ned, Hannah, and Carson Drew. At 125 pages, it is pretty much the same length as any book in the regular series as well. There's no doubt that in years to come, this book will be well out-of-print and a much sought after collector's item.

Amateur sleuth, Nancy Drew, has always been quite content within the tiny town of River Heights. In River Heights, Nancy doesn't stick out like a sore thumb simply because she wears old-fashioned clothes, and prefers sticking her head in a good book as opposed to going to parties. The fact that she always has the opportunity to chase criminals in her roadster - always obeying traffic laws, of course - and manages to solve crimes on a daily basis doesn't hurt much, either. And she can't forget her best friends, Bess and George, along with her potential love interest, Ned. Basically, Nancy couldn't be happier with her life. But then the unthinkable happens. Her father, Carson Drew, is offered the chance to earn some big money by relocating to the City of Angels - Los Angeles - for a few months, and he's taking Nancy with him. Nancy doesn't want to leave her friends behind, or abandon her beloved housekeeper, Hannah, but to please her father, she boards a train and heads for La-La Land. Of course, once she arrives there, Nancy realizes that her father has one very important ground rule set in stone that he wants her to obey wholeheartedly - no more sleuthing! Nancy can't believe her ears. Sleuthing is like second-nature to her, and she can't possibly wrap her head around the concept of renouncing it completely. But she wants to keep her father happy, and agrees to his terms. What he doesn't know, however, is that Nancy has chosen a house with quite a bit of history - and a huge mystery - for them to reside in for the next few months. A beautiful movie star known as Dehlia Draycott, whose career was at its all-time prime when she suddenly died, posed quite a difficult time for the authorities years ago. The killer was never discovered, and Dehlia's Last Will & Testament was never uncovered. Nancy instantly takes an interest in the case, and vows that before she leaves Los Angeles, the mystery surrounding Dehlia Draycott will be solved. But solving the Dehlia Draycott mystery has to take a slight backseat to acting like a "normal teenager." Carson Drew is determined for Nancy to act like other kids her age, and wants her to make new friends. So, to fill the void left by her separation from Bess, George, and Ned, Nancy works to befriend Inga, Corky, and Trish - three of her classmates from Hollywood Hills High, who happen to be the epitome of LA style. Nancy feels that by being friendly to everyone she meets, she's sure to make new friends. But that's not the case. The kids at Hollywood Hills High look at her like she has just stepped off a UFO, and seem intimidated by her confidence. But Nancy doesn't let their cold shoulders rub her the wrong way. In fact, she takes their behavior in stride, and only works harder to be liked. Now, however, as she gets closer to solving the Dehlia Draycott mystery, Nancy realizes that she'll have to enlist the help of her new friends to capture the killer, before she finds herself swimming with the fishes.

The fact that a NANCY DREW film is hitting the big-screen in a month has me absolutely thrilled. And, being the Nancy Drew fan that I am, I found myself incapable of resisting the urge to pick up the movie novelization. While many movie novelizations read like a poorly written script, Daniela Burr manages to bring Nancy's true personality to the forefront, and create a novelization that reads quite like the other books found within the NANCY DREW series. Nancy, as always, is a lovable individual, whose uniqueness shines through on every page. Her confidence, determination, and ability to see the good in everyone - no matter how they treat her - is admirable; and the fact that she appears to win over just about anyone she comes in contact with is quite entertaining. Her intelligence regarding quite a few subjects - from Algebra to laws - is refreshing, and certainly makes her an irresistible character. I found it slightly disappointing that Bess and George make one three-minute appearance throughout the whole tale, and missed Ned's ever-adorable presence. However, the characters of Inga, Trish, and Corky did add a nice contrast to Nancy's conservative character. Inga, Trish, and Corky are the epitome of LA, whose quirky style, and personalities work to make them an accurate, humorous portrayal of La-La Land residents. Though I found their sudden departure from the story to be slightly...abrupt. The ending seems to be fairly hurried, and doesn't really give the reader the chance to see what happens to certain characters - such as Nancy's LA friends. I suppose, of course, this is due to the fact that a sequel could be in the works. Even with the rushed ending, Burr manages to translate the NANCY DREW film script into a fun novelization that provides enjoyment for readers of all ages - both young and old. An ideal way to gear up for the release of the film!

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

This small book is quick to read, and has very practical prayer strategies. It gives hope. Highly recommended.

Is there a prodigal in your life? Someone who has abandoned their Christian faith and is living in a state of spiritual and moral rebellion? Then I highly recommend this book! It has been a most helpful resource for me. The author had a prodigal son himself, so he speaks from the heart of someone who has been there. The advice and ideas in the book are both realistic and practical. And from a strong Biblical, Christian perspective.

The book was also comforting to me. The author knows the pain that those with prodigals go through. It helped me to know that my feelings and reactions are "normal".

There are many prayers in the book, and I actually pray these prayers inserting the name of the prodigal in my life. This is not something I would normally do (read a prayer) but these prayers are incredibly powerful. And they put into words things that I could not. (The situation with the prodigal in my life is so complex and unusual, that I am often at a loss for words. So the prayers in this book were a blessing to me.)

The author also mentions his "Pray-Think-Act" ministry. Unfortunetly, when we have a problem, many of us act first, then think about what we did, and pray last. It should be the opposite!

It's nice finding a story where girls, not one but two, play the hero role AND rescue the prince. My daughter loved it. It's adventure, friendships, and sacrifice wrapped into a struggle to save the underwater world.

Elina gets a message by Prince Nalu to rescue him from Laverna's minions. Laverna wants the Immunity Berry to become invulnerable to magic. She could then overthrow her sister and rule as an evil queen. As Elina and Nori work together, friendships are tested forging new bonds. Girls will cheer them on!

Found writings that I needed for research that I would have had to turn the world up-side down to find... Thank You

WHAT AN AMAZING BOOK! I was happy to find this book on Amazon. It is of special interest to our family, for my Husband's Great Grandfather was one of the Children that survived this awful event in history. My Husband has every book written on the subject and so it was nice to add another to his library.