Collins Books

I was looking for a book that I could share with my four year old niece, and found this great book about Germs! My niece absolutely LOVES it! She giggles every time you say some of the germ names while reading the book. She asked everyone to read it to her over and over and over during my weekend visit. She couldn't get enough of it. And it's educational, which her Mom, the school teacher, loves. I would highly recommend.

We first got this book from our local Library because of the awesome pictures but after reading it knew it had to be one we added to our personal collection! Any time my 6 year old starts feeling sick, we pull this book out and it comforts him. He learned how his body's defences fight off the bug that gets inside him. We then discuss how the germ might have gotten into his body, and exactly how it comes out. Now that he can put a visual representation on what is going on, he is a bit more comfortable with being sick. I really LOVE this book!

When I saw this book didn't yet have a customer review, I felt compelled to correct the injustice. I purchased this book for my four-year-old niece and it has remained one of her absolute favorites for over a year now. Granted, she is a "just the facts, ma'am" sort of kid -- very interested in how things work, especially the human body. With space-age detail, Germs tells the story of Pox, a student at germ academy (along with roommates Pus, Snot, and Rash) who is learning how to make people sick. Not happy with his mission, Pox is sent to infect a little girl named Myrtle. When confronted with her white blood cells (an army of mini versions of Myrtle herself), Pox decides to make friends instead and opt for a non-infecting life of leisure inside Myrtle's body. While instructive about how we get sick, the book also is empowering in teaching about our immune systems. The pastel color palette has a retro feel, and the germs are cartoonishly gross -- perfect for kids who love to say "Ewww!" -- and yet Pox is adorably cuddly and cute. I highly recommend this book for any science-minded children out there.

Why this book is pigeonholed as Children's Literature is a mystery to me, perhaps merely because the protagonist is a twelve-year old, perhaps owing to the author's past works--I'm just glad to have found it. "The Giver" treats the most profound issues in a manner that speaks of deep understanding; the book will ring you like a bell, the ideas resonate and can not be forgotten. For this reason I call this the rarest of books; once read it will immediately and forever be a part of the reader--in a sense, our author becomes her own creation, she becomes the Giver of memory and her reader a Receiver.

It is a spare presentation of a dystopic future world where the "problems" of humanity have all been neatly resolved; everyone is polite, happy with their job, unthreatened by pain, sickness, conflict and even death. Though it becomes quickly evident that what the author really gives us is a rather convincing rationalization for the fact that evil, pain and suffering are necessary. Foes of religious belief often claim that the idea of pain and suffering is inconsistent with a loving God; but, even for the secular among us, Ms. Lowry shows how suffering and joy are linked. "The Giver" argues that granting unlimited license to those who would sacrifice individual choice in their attempts to achieve relief from war, famine and economic inequality could very well eliminate that which makes life worth living. "The Giver" says much about the danger of placing the interests of the community above the interests of individuals.

To say much about the story risks spoiling the slow exposition of the underlying flaws in the utopia, which was exceptionally well paced. At first the "community" seems vaguely creepy, by the end of the book it is horrifying. "The Giver" is a novel of ideas that begs to be discussed and argued over as the part of any moral education. It is powerful beyond my ability to express and like any truth, it offers something of value to any reader at any level.

Highest Recommendation.

I did not read this book until my mid-forties, but I would have enjoyed it at any age past about seven or eight.

Story: Jonas is twelve, and has grown up in a community where there is no crime, no violence, no poverty, and no misery. All of that has been methodically eliminated, in an attempt to create ultimate peace, harmony, and happiness. Everything is very well-organized and planned out. Couples are matched together based upon very good reasons, founded in the community's goals. Each couple has two children. The children's aggressive and sexual impulses are muted by medication. At age twelve, each child is matched with the career that best fits him or her. The Elders teach the children and train them in their careers. There is no pain; there is no misery; there is no poverty. And, there is no freedom. Freedom and individual choice and variety are the costs paid by the community for the peace, the harmony, and the . . er, happiness.

Happiness? Maybe contentment. No joy.

At twelve, Jonas is assigned his career: Receiver of Memories. He is trained by an Elder called "The Giver." And, Jonas finds out what the world could be like. He comes to understand the price that has been paid by the community, the price the community doesn't even realize it is paying, as they have all forgotten what life, freedom, and choice are all about. The Giver has not forgotten, and now, Jonas learns about that price. And, he refuses to pay that price.

What will the community do to Jonas, to preserve its harmony? I will not give that away here, but think about "Brave New World" or "Logan's Run".

"The Giver" earned five stars from me on two points: technical quality and content. Technically, this book is very well-written, with a fast pace, no lulls, three-dimensional characters, a well-described setting, and no plot contradictions. The nature of the community is described so well that you feel that you have been there, and you want to avoid going back.

It is the story content that really elevates this book to five-star quality, however. Diversity and conformity are issues that surround us, in the news, in our neighborhoods, in our schools, in government and politics, and in the courts. The Giver puts the debate under a microscope, and it leaves room for no simplistic answers. It portrays an artificial society where diversity has just about been abolished. It depicts the benefits of that society, the shortcomings of it, and the internal conflicts caused in the mind of the protagonist. "The Giver" gives no answers, but gifts us with a wonderful way to look at an important question. This is a great book for a classroom project, or for a parent to read with his/her child. There are discussion questions listed at the end, that can be used as a launching pad for an intellectual exploration of the issues portrayed.

I think that, while written for children, many teenagers and adults will enjoy it, and find it thought-provoking. While the reading level of the book is aimed at children, the concepts are relevant to all ages.

A non-spoiler spoiler: The end is intentionally ambiguous. While I have decided, for myself, what the ending means, each reader must make his/her own decision on what happened at the end. You get to choose. What a nice gift that is.

NOTE: This review appears on other, unlinked editions of this book.

Lois Lowry is one of those unique authors who has won the John Newbery Medal for children's literature twice. Once for the first book in this trilogy and once for a book about the Holocaust called Number the Stars. (Just as an aside only one other author has ever done that Madeleine L'Engle who I would also recommend highly.) I would begin by recommending any of her books; they are all worth the time and the effort. This trilogy is set in a post apocalyptic world. The first two books each focus on different community's who have recovered from the devastation differently, both have strengths and both have weaknesses. And a young boy must heal them both and the land if either is to survive.

The Giver
Lois Lowry
Laurel-Leaf Books
ISBN:0440219078

Jonas is a young boy who lives in a community with a lot of technology and many rules about it. He has only seen an airplane twice for planes were not suppose to over fly villages, it was against the rules. Children of the same age are raised together and each December they move up a grade, when the reach the age of twelve they are selected for occupational training Jonas in talking to his friend states about selections: "Jonas Shrugged. It didn't worry him, how could someone not fit in? The Community was so meticulously ordered, the choices so carefully made." However all the other Twelve's were assigned and Jonas was skipped then at the end of the ceremony it was announced that he had been selected he was chosen to become the `receiver of memory.' He was to learn all the history and story of the people and become an advisor to the council that ruled the village. It only happened every so many generations and only 1 keeper of memories was installed in each village. Jonas and his family take in an infant who is not maturing and growing quickly enough. The child is given a year extension, when the child is marked to me replaced (abandoned and killed). Jonas takes the child and runs away. Through the winter Jonas knows he will not make it and pours all the memories he has learnt into the child. But can he save the child? What will happen to him and his community? Jonas thought his world was perfect, that the elders had everything under control, that there would never be war again. But also a world without choices. Till he is given the knowledge of the past the choice to save a child or let it die?

Gathering Blue
Lois Lowry
Laurel-Leaf Books
ISBN:0440229499

Kira, is an orphan and she has a twisted leg, she lives in a village with very little technology and one that casts aside those who do not contribute. The weak, injured, and helpless are abandoned. However things are starting to turn around for Kira, she has been spared by the all powerful Council of Guardians, for she has a gift she is a weaver and can die cloths in ways no other in the community can. As an artisan she is installed in the palatial Council Edifice and spends the whole year working her trade, her primary task is to care for the Robe of Remembrance that tell's the story of this community. But with her privilege comes expectations that she will do the council biddings. She befriends a young boy and his ragged dog, Matty `The Fiercest of the Fierce'. Matt tells Kira about another village where people are not cast aside, where they share their food. Matt brings her a gift the color blue, and a blind man that is her father. She is torn between staying and leaving the life she knows, and the truths she can find out what will happen.

Messenger
Lois Lowry
Thomas Allen & Son
ISBN:0618404414

Matt has returned he is with Kira's father and living in the new community from beyond yonder. This village is guided by love and compassion, and guided by the `Leader' a seer arrived in this village one winter night many years ago on a sleigh with an older boy who did not survive the journey. The Seer can see the future and can often see for people what might be for his people. Matty is almost at the age where he will be named, he is hoping to be named `Messenger' for he takes message both in the village and to other villages which many can not do. But things are changing, the village is becoming hostile, starting to turn people away and the woods are becoming ferial and people are dieing. Can the Leader save the village, can the world be healed, what will happen to Kira, her father and Matty?

These three books will challenge you, after reading The Giver the first time I was overwhelmed and it haunted me for a long time. I went back and have reread it many many times. All three books raise questions about community, love, friendship, and care for other people. They also show dark paths that we as a people can go down, and how it can devastate all around us when we make the wrong choices for the wrong reasons.

I originally thought that this book would be one that I would sit down and read cover-to-cover, but after reading the first few "glimpses", I realized that this was the type of book that I needed to savor and "use" . I am absolutely awed that the author reached so deep within to prepare such an extensive collection of very, very philosophical writings. After reading each "glimpse", there's no way that the reader can avoid being reflective about the meaning of their own life.

The author's writing style is refreshingly thought-provoking and insightful. The text provides a keen understanding into the gloriousness of God in simple, yet profound poetic verse. Individual "glimpses" provide instruction on how to see Him in all aspects of everyday life while collectively the "glimpses" provide an illuminating roadmap for living an abundant, purposeful life in Him. My favorite "glimpse" varies as God has lead me to many glimpses based upon my current circumstance and/or situation, but each one has calmed my spirit and blessed my soul while increasing my faith of things not yet seen but definitely hoped for.

Looking for God, look here within the pages of this spiritual gift and you shall find Him.

A Glimpse of a Glimmer invites the reader into rich and deep vistas of understanding of each of the several aspects of God's character and nature that are addressed here. The reader's faith is challenged and renewed by "glimmers" of God that provide catalysts for spiritual nourishment and certain growth. In a rather unique way, the format lends itself to multiple uses: reference for specific challenges, daily inspiration, and wisdom and counsel. It leaves the reader wanting more of these glimpses and hungering for the author's next venture.

I bought this as a gift, so cannot give a fair review as it is going to someone else.

This is simply another great collection of sudoku puzzles. This one will make a great holiday gift as it was very recently released and it's likely that your favorite puzzler will not yet own it.

Of special interest are the super-sudoku puzzles in this book, they're definitely not for a coffee break: you'd better have a good block of time available to work them out!

This book is a great mind challenge. You will lose track of time working on these puzzles.

The Great Cake Bake is Matt Collins first picture book; yet, his work surpasses many veteran artists. His illustrations are vivid and polished, shiny is probably a better word. The expressions are animated, and comical. The illustrations are funny, and beg a second look. I also love the animal antics. On nearly every spread Donna Rae's cat and bunny rabbit appear in the scenes. Her pets are either peeking from behind a post, or struggling to get a better view. It's cute, and adds to the fun.

This is my first experience with a Helen Ketteman's work, and I must say I'm impressed. Ketteman's writing is humorous without over embellishing. She's description, yet the terminology is age appropriate. The book is recommended for children 5 to 8, which I think is appropriate as it takes about 5-minutes to read aloud. The author sets the scene, grabs the reader's attention, and keeps us interested until the end. This book has accompanied my 6-year old to bed every night in the last few weeks. He adores it.

This book's illustrations are so well done and enjoyable, with lot's of background detail. They compliment the fun, lighthearted story perfectly. A book you will never be tired of reading!

Donna Rae really wants to win the prize in the cake contest this year. She tries her hand a various cakes. She tests her cake out on the mayor. The first cake she bakes is a Boston Tea Party cake that end up spraying liquid all over the mayor. Then she bakes a Statue of Liberty cake that explodes when they light the torch. Her last cake is a replica of the old town of Boston. Find out the mayors plan to make sure Donna Rae is not in the contest next year!


What did you like or not like about the book?

The book is full of adventure. You never know what will happen next.



Would you recommend the book? Why or Why not?

Yes. It is a great book to read around the Fourth of July.

"A word is not the same with one writer as with another. One tears it from his guts. The other pulls it out of his overcoat pocket....Charles Peguy"(pg 479)....................... There are quote books and there are quote books. THIS is quote book you'll mark on every page and return to again and again. It's a feast of ideas that will become one of your favorite reference books. Forget Bartlett's. Here's a reference book you can actually use and enjoy reading at the same time. No wonder its on its third edition. I'm sorry I didn't discover it sooner.

This is a great book! I found it my school library and I go in on break just to read through a few pages.

...One tears it from his guts. The other pulls it out of his overcoat pocket." (Charles Peguy, p 479) What a wonderful reference! I have found this book useful for speeches, papers, special occasions, toasts, etc. Organized topically, this book is amazingly easy to use and is filled with great quotes from a wide variety of sources (the Bible, various ethnic proverbs, presidents and other political figures, a range of artists and writers and various entertainers). A great book for anyone who ever speaks or writes in any capacity.

Harper Collins has a long history of providing students of world languages with dictionaries that, in addition to being reasonably comprehensive, have the cleanest, most transparent design on the market, and combine those features with affordable prices. The new (2001) Beginner's Harper Collins is no exception. Although it is a reference likely meant for first- and second-year students, and therefore is NOT as comprehensive as more advanced learner's dictionaries may be, it seems quite sufficient for that level.

The two-color design makes it easy to distinguish between keywords; each new meaning of the same word is underlined and begins on a new line. Explanations are clear, and provide not just basic meanings of words, but also usage patterns - a feature which is very helpful, and usually NOT found in similar, basic dictionaries. And so the English TO DEPEND is not only translated as Spanish DEPENDER, but also includes prepositional extention (DEPEND ON = DEPENDER DE), with an example (The price depends on the quality = El precio depende de la calidad); additional meanings and prepositional usage are explained through clear examples: You can depend on him = Puedes contar con él; DEPENDING ON in the sense of SEGÚN has not only an example (depending on the weather = según el tiempo que haga) but also a color-highlighted usage note (según has to be followed by a verb in the subjunctive).

The authors had enough common sense (unlike those of some competing dictionaries) to list only the most usual, frequent meanings, leaving out confusing details. And so, commendably, TO REALIZE is simply rendered as DARSE CUENTA, without listing the existing, but misleading verb REALIZAR (correct, although in the sense TO FULFILL and not TO BECOME AWARE OF); an appropriate usage structure is given as well: to realize that = darse quenta de que, plus there is a sentence: Nos dimos cuenta de que algo iba mal.

Usage notes scattered generously on the pages are a very helpful and unique feature; and so the entry for AN EAGLE not only gives ÁGUILA, but also highlights with a blue boxed background: "Although it's a feminine noun, remember that you use el and un with águila." Quite impressive in a BEGINNER'S dictionary!

There is a good and sufficient, although brief intro. on how to use a dictionary, followed by a few useful check exercises. The reference part includes irregular verb charts, as well as sections on telephone, e-mail, traditional correspondence, numbers, dates and telling time, and a list of common false cognates ("falsos amigos"). In the text of the dictionary all irregular verbs are clearly marked with an *, although finding the conjugation may have been made easier if they also had a pattern number listed in the entry, without requiring a second search in the the irregular verb section.

I can't resist mentioning the paper, although it may seem trivial to some readers: unlike so many pocket-size dictionaries, this one is printed on good, smooth, crisp white paper, NOT the yellowish and coarse newsprint which unfortunately is the common fare of most dictionaries in this price range .... Two-color print is another visual asset, although sadly it has not been used to its maximum advantage (e.g., irregular verb forms in the conjugation patterns could have been highlighted in color,increasing the visibility, without any additional printing cost).

Overall, for the first and second year students of Spanish (and equally for the Spanish-speaking students of English as a FL), this is the dictionary of choice, with little competition currently on the market among bilingual dictionaries (beginner's Spanish-only Diccionario Escolar VOX, ISBN 0844279803, ... would be a great companion to this title beginning at 2nd year level). One should note, however, that most serious students of language will outgrow the scope of this vocab by the end of their second year of (college) study.

By far this is the best and easiest dictionary for high school students to use. A self-instructional section at the beginning shows students how to use a billingual dictionary and look for the exact meaning of the word they wish to find. With other dictionaries, students have come up with very bizarre translations, but this dictionary will help them to catch the nuances that go with a language. I have several copies myself and have recommended it to all my students.

The two-color (black and blue) print, high-quality paper, and the not-too-much-on-one-page format of this dictionary are what set it apart from the abundance of other Spanish-English dictionaries available. Because it is a beginner's dictionary, it is not exhaustive (for example, the word "mestizo" is not included as an entry). At the same time, the editors have made an effort to include very practical definitions. Therefore, under "pin" in the English section, you will also find PIN (número de identificación personal), and along with "making out" an address or "making out" a check, you can learn how to express "making out" with somebody.

The dictionary includes a special middle section with verb conjugations, false cognates, and fun word games (in both English and Spanish).

Though perhaps primarily intended as a resource for English speakers learning Spanish, my Mexican students of the English language have found this dicionary to be a helpful tool.

This book is the single best value of anything I've purchased for my vacation to Greece. Not only is it absolutely jam-packed with useful touristy vocabulary (everything from "Where is the hotel" to "I'm allergic to peanuts"), the pages are filled with actual photographs of signs, menus, phone booths, bus schedules, etc in Greek so that you can see what kind of things you'll have to decipher. Words and phrases are written both phonetically (with accented syllables bolded) and in Greek script, so that you can recognize them written or spoken.

It's an especially valuable guide for foodies such as myself because of the extensive "Menu Guide," essentially a dictionary of common (and not-so-common) foods. There's useful tidbits throughout about such things as when shops are open or how to use a phone card. And to top it all off, it's compact and it's dirt cheap: two things every tourist loves to hear. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

I have 5 other phrase books and I think this is the best!!!!! It's colorful, big and easy to understand. This is the only book that I have seen in Greek with pictures to help you. It also has a greek/english and english/greek dictionary. I love it :)!

This book is a great guide for non-Greek speakers visiting Greece. I speak Greek, but still find it useful. The photos of the signs are especially helpful. Words are written in English, Greek & phonetic.

Another great Seymour Simon book. Enjoy and don't forget to share it with the other kids in your class.

Like "The Brain", this is a great book with a step by step tour into the heart, its location, the chambers, circulation, and different kinds of blood cells. The pictures are amazing and makes one want to read. An excellent scientific health/well being book with excellent color illustrations. I would recommend this book to teachers and students from the 3rd grade through the 10th grades.

My son (7 years old) and I were both entranced by this book. Simon describes our circulatory system in detail, with concrete comparisons that children can easily relate to. He is systematic and complete, yet fascinating. The book also has beautiful, full-page, color illustrations, most of which are electron microscope photographs. A great book

I am puzzled and very disappointed that this book is not being widely enough read and written about. I suspect its reputation is growing underground as people pass on copies and recount their experiences in reading it. Collins is a fine writer who brings an awsome command of history, Biblical scholarship, cultural appraisal, literary studies into focus such that the reader is made to see in startlingly new ways what a mess America has been brought to by its present leaders. This is not a superfical glance at the neocons, G W Bush, the Iraq war; it is rather a deeply thoughtful consideration of much that has gone into the long prehistory of the American nightmare -- ancient narratives, the structure of the language, the nature of metaphor, the inner workings of the evangelical mind. The book builds to a conclusion that will have you thinking in new ways about the recent past, not necessarily with bright hopes. Collins has a wonderful sense of humor, low-key, understated, sharp. I recommend this book.

This is a marvelous work of scholarship that exposes the dangerous myths powering the American worldview. Ought to be required reading in American political science curricula.

Review of Homeland Mythology, by Christopher Collins (Penn State Press, 2007) 262 pp.


Christopher Collins' Homeland Mythology: Biblical Narratives in American Culture exposes layers of sediment that have occluded our view of what is American. To all those who love to quote one side of a coin, "In God We Trust," never turning it over to read "In Diversity United," this is essential reading. All cultures survive and perish on their stories, but the unexamined story, as Collins demonstrates, is a perverse lie, a tool for propagandists and tyrants. It is one thing to suspend disbelief when listening to a work of fiction, but if we carry our fairy tales into adulthood, then we risk delusional behavior on a collective level. Worse, we act on beliefs we believe are already ordained by God, with drastic consequences: imperialistic expansion, racism, disregard for human rights, disregard for the environment, war.

Collins traces a direct line from the Christian interpretations of Biblical stories from the beginning of European history and Anglo history in the New World right to the current White House and to a vast array of rhetorical givens in the media and collective consciousness. He shows that not all narratives assume the same idea of time or history. The Hebrew Bible looks to the past, embracing ancient traditions: Isaac "follows" Abraham. The Christian appropriation of The Hebrew Bible, much like the Islamic, imposes a tortured interpretation, declaring the Hebrew Bible to be a foreshadowing of the coming (and coming again) of Jesus Christ, a forward narrative movement.

Pointing out how politicians have scoured the Bible for fear-mongering language is pretty easy, but exposing how they have used Bible stories, already embedded in a collective psyche, to justify horrific acts requires insight and careful documentation, which Collins has achieved. Collins' work is to the study of the Judeo-Christian traditions what Bernard Lewis' works have been to our understanding of Islam. And Like Lewis, Collins is scholarly without ever being pedantic. Bringing together literary analysis, rhetorical theory, and cultural anthropology, Collins adeptly presents us with a book that is both profound and reader friendly.

Marlon L Fick