Fitzgerald Books

This book helps children understand what the Minutemen did for the British. It gives explainations that young children can understand. It also keeps their attention in wondering what is going to happen next. Characters are great. My son was able to visualize himself as being Sam. Wonderful book.

My eight-year old son has been reading Sam The Minuteman for several years. He loves the book so much. Although the reading doesn't challenge him anymore, he continues to check it out at our Public Library time and time again. I am glad that he has chosen a good wholesome book as one of his favorites. I have gotten this copy for him as a Christmas Gift. Hopefully, he will continue to enjoy it and pass it on to his children. Good reading material is getting increasingly more difficult to find for 4-6 graders.

When young Sam grabs his gun to enter The Battle of Lexington alongside his father, young readers won't help but wonder: What's going to happen to him? This central, suspenseful question is just one of the mature thematic elements encountered in Sam the Minuteman, a lean, accurate, and surprisingly contemplative historical narrative of the American Revolution's opening days. Benchley slips in key events and characters (the anonymous first shot, British Redcoats, Captain Parker, guerilla warfare) that may encourage young history enthusiasts to uncover the other stories behind Sam. Most provocatively, Benchley takes Sam on a hell-bent ("I'll shoot [the British soldiers]--every one!") revenge quest against his protective mother's pleas. This sub-plot alone may spark deep dialogue usually encountered in higher-level books.

Lobel, of Frog and Toad lore, illustrates with a smoky yet highly detailed pencil, and inks in a sparse amount of red and shades of ocher. His limited media and autumn palette connote the era's harsh agrarian lifestyle, and the stark "do-or-die" mentality of the colonists. Benchley douses his prose with rich poetic metaphors, describing the warring British troops as "a bright river of red," and deadly bullets that "buzzed about like bees."

The ending is abrupt, but Benchley's intention is to extend the conversation beyond the book's pages; quite likely to George the Drummer Boy, the companion piece to this book written from a British boy's perspective during the revolution.

In plain language, and with just a bit of humor, prolific author Nathaniel Benchley (son of the great humorist Robert) and the equally experienced Arnold Lobel tell the story of the beginnings of the American Revolution, as seen through the eyes of a young boy. On the night of Paul Revere's famous ride, Sam accompanies his father to the village green. The pensive faces of the Minutemen and the monochrome and two-toned drawings of Lobel build tension as they await the possible arrival of the British. Finally, they hear the "TRAMP TRAMP TRAMP" of the British soldiers-the "lobsterbacks": "Over the hill and past the tavern came the soldiers! They came on and on and on." At close range, the British kill eight men (they're shown lying on the ground), and wound Sam's friend John in the leg. "'Sam!' John cried. `I'm hit.' John held his leg and fell down."

Soon after, the British attack again. Sam joins his father, despite his mother's loud protest. This time the Minutemen shoot back from behind trees and rocks. Benchley's dramatic narrative continues: "No one knew it then, but that day was the start of the American Revolution." Lobel shows the Minutemen's strain, the families' agony, and the fatigue of Sam and others.

Although a simply told story intended for young readers, Benchley and Lobel convey some of the key elements that went into the eventual American victory. Perhaps a little violent for the younger audiences, this is a realistic story with the look and feeling of an archetypal children's book.

My kids loved this book. This book can be read by any reading level, because of its historical perspective. It appears to most adequately suit 1st graders. With my older children I used it as a tool, along with George the Drummer Boy, to teach perspective in writing and history. These two books in combination do an excellent job. Sam the Minuteman is told from the perspective of an American boy. George the Drummer Boy is told from a British boy's perspective. This book has 61 pages, about 1/4 of the pages are full page illustrations. Both books portray the same event in history - the beginning of the American Revolution.

I would read this book, because if you like dragons this is the book made for you.It's rated with 5 stars,and has lots of action in it.

There is an evil, boneless, and immortal king that of the powerful dragon cauldron with the soul of a powerless human soul. The soul of Thorn depends on a dragon princess, Shimmer. She is the last hope for Thorn's soul. Thorn is trapped inside an all out war on the dragonkind. The king(known as the "Boneless King") wants to use the cauldron for evil causes.First he wants to boil the seas. He is ready to also destroy the entire dragonkind if he has to. Else where the Dragons prepare for war agfainst the the Boneless king. The princess of dragons, Shimmer, is fighting to save her home. For this she has to ally with Promfet. It is a respite from
sword-and-sorcery stereotypes. The dragon princess, a wizard monkey and ,another human cihld Indigo transform themselves into guards, horses and even fleas to elude the Boneless king. In desperation they return to the kingdom of high kings to recruit with her kinmates in a fight for their lives and to save the inland sea. Thorn later becomes a part of the Cauldron to restore the home of Shimmer, the inland sea. They complete the task, but loose one of their mates in the battle. Then they flee. This is a wonderful ending to an even better series.

There is an evil, boneless, and immortal king that of the powerful dragon cauldron with the soul of a powerless human soul. The soul of Thorn depends on a dragon princess, Shimmer. She is the last hope for Thorn's soul. Thorn is trapped inside an all out war on the dragonkind. The king(known as the "Boneless King") wants to use the cauldron for evil causes.First he wants to boil the seas. He is ready to also destroy the entire dragonkind if he has to. Else where the Dragons prepare for war agfainst the the Boneless king. The princess of dragons, Shimmer, is fighting to save her home. For this she has to ally with Promfet. It is a respite from
sword-and-sorcery stereotypes. The dragon princess, a wizard monkey and ,another human cihld Indigo transform themselves into guards, horses and even fleas to elude the Boneless king. In desperation they return to the kingdom of high kings to recruit with her kinmates in a fight for their lives and to save the inland sea. Thorn later becomes a part of the Cauldron to restore the home of Shimmer, the inland sea. They complete the task, but loose one of their mates in the battle. Then they flee. This is a wonderful ending to an even better series.

this story is constantly twiting and writhing or you my just call it twiting.for a gragh of this stories high and low piont it would bea zig. one of the stuborn characters has gotten a new image except the hiar due is still the same. im not sure if it s the end when this book comes agian because the author left it so it go either way. i wont spoil the ending but i will tell you its pretty good. o and look out somthing slithering is not to be over looked

In the final book of the Dragon Series by Laurence Yep, Shimmer, the dragon princess, and Monkey and Indigo fight the last battle against the Boneless King to save Shimmerýs home. The Boneless King, disguised as the butcher, has evil men who try to kill Shimmer and her friends.The bonless Kingýs allies are very powerful and Shimmer and Monkey and Indigo nearly die When Thorn, the human boy, gets his soul stuck inside the dragon cauldron, Shimmer and her friends find it hard to continue. The Boneless King wants the cauldron because he wants to boil Shimmerýs home, the sea. Shimmer, Indigo, and Monkey make a long and dangerous journey to the dragon kingdom but things get worse, for Shimmerýs brother, Pomfret, has sided with the Boneless King.

The book starts out a little bit slowly but if you are patient you will love it. This is a great book -- it is my favorite book of the Dragon Series and maybe my favorite book ever. I rate this a five star because of Laurence Yepýs great way of describing things, and of giving people actions that fit their personalities. Monkeyýs personality makes him the funniest character in the book -- he makes fun of Shimmer, cheats in games against her, and a lot more funny stuff. The story is full of surprises. People who like mystery, humor, and lots of adventure all in one will enjoy this book.

I know why they call this a program you will love, because it is not hard. I enjoy the exercises and will continue to perform them, but I am not making this my primary workout. Instead I will adapt it for use three days a week on my easy days, as this is a perfect complimentary workout. I consider myself in good shape, but not great, and I was easily able to jump in and do the 12th week workouts precisely how Fitzgerald specified, boots and all. There were only several out of the 46 total exercises that I could not perform easily. The only way someone could say that it is deceptively hard is that a few exercises are nearly impossible. I found those are strictly for the abs though however and not any other part of my body feels a workout. I am not sore or exhausted, and the cals are the only valuable part to me as the running in week 12 was not that advanced- anyone can tell you to run for two 20 odd minute intervals with 5 minute walking breaks. The ab work is good, but other than that it is not challenging for someone who has some flexibility and performs cals regularly as I had. I have no doubt that these are valuable exercises, but this is far from the billing that I was reading on everyone else's review about what a workout you'll get from it. If you want a challenging workout buy something from Stew Smith and adapt this workout to include all the exercises for the off, or easy, days. It deserves four stars because this is probably good for most people who don't stretch enough and/or want to ease into a workout. All the supporters of this book must forgive me for making it sound so bad, it is a quality purchase, this just doesn't seem like the ultimate workout.

Like most I also received thisbook thru a military book club. At the time, I was beginning my long hard road to the SEALs, this pub helped tramendeously!! I was in better shape then in boot camp. This book is truely a keeper, that won't collect dust on a shelf.

The workout programme described in this book is deceptively difficult! Having read many of the recent titles which detail Navy SEAL workout regimens, I have found this one to be the most practical and time efficient. Some of the exercises would be considered obsolete by many, but once you get down to the nitty gritty this is a hardcore training programme (As one would expect from a former Navy frogman!). The instructions are very clear and presented with wry humour. The weekly and daily schedules are particularly effective as you can monitor your progress daily which is very motivating. It is also interesting to note that this book was first published in 1985! If you can find a copy, Buy it!

This is the most amazing exercise book I've EVER read. It's literally a crime they don't publish it anymore. Fitzgerald's exercise regimen is guaranteed to give you unbelievably "cut" muscles in a short time. His regimen will also force you to dig deep inside yourself for stamina, willpower, and endurance. Sound familiar? It should: Fitzgerald is ex-UDT.

For lower body conditioning, nothing I've seen compares to Fitzgerald's book. However, readers should add the upper-body and cross-training exercises found in the recent publications by Caracci, Helvenston, DeLisle, Smith, and other Navy SEALs.

This book is designed to put the reader through two workout programmes simultaneously. There is a Calisthenics programme, and a Running programme. This is a 12-week cycle; as Fitzgerald says, special forces are always changing and adapting, so there is no 'official' cycle that remains constant forever. Thus, this is flexible here, too. This book is all the reader needs except his own muscles and desire to succeed. No special equipment to buy or anything else. The back cover says this is not for the timid or the lazy. This is like being in the military. No excuses - just do it!

The author is a former Navy frogman named Tom Fitzgerald. He continues his fitness goals by running in the Boston Marathon and other such events. Fitzgerald promises better self-esteem, better motivation, and better accomplishment for those who will complete this programme.

The conditioning programme targets five different body parts with 46 different exercises. The running involves running and rapid walking with some intervals of sprinting. There is also a good deal of stretching involved. If you cannot give this one or two hours a day every day for 12 weeks then maybe this is not the book for you. But one could still get it and look at the exercises that have good descriptions and are useful, even if not following the programme.

Stretching
There is stretching prior to each session. This helps prevent muscle injury and makes one limber. Stretching after also helps healing faster, too.

Diet
This book does not go too much into diet since there are other books ready for that, but it gives some general rules. Vitamins and supplements are discussed and basic common sense like not drinking alcohol or too much sugar or caffeine before a workout. Their advice is humourous: 'If you're looking around for a mate, consider marrying a nutritionist.'

Other general instructions
This section deals with sore muscles, shoe and foot care (very important for the heavy running schedule). Keeping count and keeping at it is important too! At the end of the book is a record for keeping track of progress.

The Stretching Programme
There are 14 stretches in this, and each of them are done both before and after the calisthenics and running programmes. An important note is that this stretching routine was developed at a university training programme and not by the Navy. The chart at the end of the section shows what you should do, including how much time this should take. The opening stretches should take 5 minutes, and the final stretches should take 2 minutes.

The Calisthenics Programme
There are 46 exercises that are done over the course of the week that will exercise ever muscle in your body. There are five main categories.

General Warm-up
There are 10 exercises in the general warm up, and these exercises work to prepare the whole body for work.

Abdominal Exercises
There are 11 exercises in the abdominal section, and they work to strengthen and stretch the abs and your lower back.

The Side and Obliques
There aren't too many exercises in this part -- only 5, but they are important. These are really tough exercises beyond the usual stuff for sides and obliques.

Leg and Groin Exercises
There are 12 exercises in this section and legs are one of the major muscle groups in the body and often get overlooked. People think of abs and arms for fitness, but the legs carry the body weight all day long.

Arm Chest and Shoulder Exercises
There are 8 exercises in this final section for the upper body. The book said no special equipment is needed, but once will need a place to do pull-ups.

At the end of this section is the 12-week chart for how many exercises need to be done. Out of the 46 exercises you will do about half of them each day. Some things like leg stretchers are done almost every day. Some things like the one-legged push-up are done less often.

SEAL training calls running programmes 'conditioning hikes'. These involve running, walking double-time, and sprints in a programme on varying terrain, mostly on sand, which goes from being soft to hard-packed to ridged to in the water, often done in boots. The book makes recommendations for running in boots, and running with ankle weights or other kinds of terrain variations.

The first week involves running two miles in 15 minutes and makes progress up to eight miles at a maximum for the rest of the programme.

The exercises are described in good form each with pictures of each step. All exercises can be done by males or females. The pictures are basic black-and-white and sometimes a little grainy.

One drawback is that this is a tough workout programme from the very beginnin, and some people not be able to tolerate the stress and muscle effort from the outset. A Week Zero or prep conditioning programme would probably be a good idea to add if the book is ever reprinted.

The last part of this book involves setting out the schedule in a good format. There are also pages are for recording a personal record of progress and that can be motivating.

Byrd Baylor's book "I'm in charge of Celebrations" is the best "any age" book I've ever known. Everyone I know has started keeping a celebration book modeled after hers! What an absolutely marvelous journey! And Parnell's illustrations are magnificent!!!

This is a memmorable book for a child

I use this book in the beginning of each school year with my fifth grade students. It always leads to great discussions about what is important to them and leads into interesting writer's notebook entries. The book is a great tool for inferencing, noticing details, and celebrating the little events in our lives that make us who we are. A good book to use when teaching about differences that make each of us unique and how we all have our own set of priorities.

One of the best picture books ever. I'm one who believes picture books are not just for children and this one proves it! It reflects a wonderful attitude that there's always something out there to celebrate. A most uplifting book. Byrd Baylor is really tuned into nature and Peter Parnell turns those words into unforgetable images.

I stumbled upon this book recently and, as an avid reader of children's literature, believe it is one of the most amazing books I have seen -- for readers of all ages. It is lyrical, humorous and quiet. The illustrations are spare--and that's all that's needed. Life in the desert is depicted beautifully. I felt like the book was speaking me, calling me to a more mindful way of life. I plan to buy it as gifts for all my friends this year, no matter their age.

Sferazza-Anthony has put together a book on the Kennedy White House that is like none of the other million Kennedy books out there. It includes many never-before-seen photographs such as the Wexford interiors (surprisingly ugly and unstylish!) an interior shot at Glen Ora, etc. The details of day-to-day life in the Kennedy White House can only be matched by JB West's "Upstairs at the White House" (out of print). A must-have for Kennedy buffs and admirers.

This book was a wonder to read and the pictures in it were amazing. Defentitly recomment it!

This book is great. I love the pictures, but some of the text was too boring for me. I was only interested in the parts of text that had "Caroline" or "John, Jr." in them. A lot of the pictures I have never seen before and it was a joy to see them in this book!

This book is primarily worth it for the mnay great photos of JFK and Jackie, especially of the White House rooms themselves. That said, the text is pretty good, as well. Two items of interest--that isn't J. Edgar Hoover behind Jackie on the front cover but lookalike Secret Service agent Stewart G. "Stu" Stout, Jr. Also, I like the picture of Marilyn Monroe with Secret Service agent Floyd M. Boring (wearing glasses) in front of her on the steps!
[...]

What a classy book that one is! The White House as it was at the time of the Kennedys... and looking at some of those never seen before pictures, we can relive the elegance, charm and grace of that unique period. Two thumbs up Mr. Sferrazza!!

My 10-year-old son discovered the Geronimo Stilton books in his classroom. He has ADHD and he can't put these books down! I bought him a few for Christmas and he keeps asking for more. The text is written in a very unique way. Some of the words are in colors and different fonts and sizes. They appear to "pop out" at you, making it very engaging. There are also pictures scattered throughout the text and the stories are humorous. 5 stars I HIGHLY recommend these books!

This is the first in a series of books, that my son was introduced to by a friend. The unique thing about the series is that although there are pictures, many of the words are written in creative text or printing, in a variety of colors, right in the paragraphs as well. This really makes for keeping a young reader engaged with the story, especially for those that are transitioning from books with pictures to chapter books, and chapter books that are all text.

My son is currently in 2nd grade, but is reading well above grade level, independantly. The challenge for him is that what he CAN read, he's not intested in yet, and what is at his grade level doesn't hold his interest. He has been devouring these books in around a week each. We also read aloud to each other from them, and they are very entertaining, even as adults.

A wonderful series, great, I think for boys and girls alike as there are very strong, positive main characters that are both male and female.

It all started when Thea found an old map with an x for the spot where the treasure was. She dragged her brother Trap and her cousin Benjamin on to the trip. They took a boat there and a few days later a hurricane struck. Find out what happened to Benjamin, Thea, and Trap.
I really recommend this book because the details were great. It's a great adventure and this book is good for kids from second grade to fifth grade. You should read this book.

Casey,11, R.I

If you are looking for a new book series, this should be it! There are 24 books out so far, and I have read them all. They are funny, clever, and have lots of funny mouse jokes. They are perfect for ages 7 and up, and come out bi-monthly. They are the best series of books ever. They originally came from Italy, if you're wondering. They are great, so read them ALL!!

There's one fine line between well-played and over-played layouts. The full Geronimo Stilton series falls into the well-played category: the outcome is pleasant and not too loud and the fonts / colour used are really a statement on their own.

Another point to note is the translation involved. While this is not "literature" literature, the adaptation in cultural and linguistics aspect are well taken care of.

I don't know any Italian but have compared the Chinese and English versions of the same book (yes, my colleague at work has the entire Chinese series while I'm catching up by matching the English version). The funny bits are transformed elegantly.

Recommended to not only children, but anyone who's intersted in translating humour and layout.

I liked this book because soccer is my favorite sport after basketball. Also the character in this story is Whisper and theres a girl in my grade with that name. Whisper plays socbowl in the story. I think thats a funny name. This was a very good book!

Wandering through the library, searching to find an interesting book, one caught my eye. It was the, The Million Dollar Kick. The book starts out in Oklahoma City. Whisper is an ordinary kid who is haunted by a mental picture of a soccer game. One afternoon Whisper took her little sister, who is an athlete, to the mall. Where her sister enters her in a contest. Where if you win you get the chance to win a million dollars by kicking a soccer ball past a famous soccer goalie. She wins, but now she has to learn how to kick a soccer ball. She thought she was toast until Ellie decided to coach her. I thought it was a great book full of action, surprise, and pure interest.

wisper nelson who lives in oklahoma she goes to the donut shop with her little siter and they see a thing that says Come Up With A Good Slogen and if they win then that person gets 1 shot to kick a soccer ball in to the goal if they mis they get a year supply of donuts if they get it in they win a million dollars but it ant that easy you need to kick it past carmen applegate the pro goal keeper. wisper wins and she doesnt want to do it but she still does it, she gets help bye this nice 11th grade soccer player when she got enough help she was going to do the kick in a day then for some rreason carmen applegate got hert so she couldnt play so wisper teacher was the goalie but wisper kicked it in she was really really really happy

The Million Dollar Kick is a great book. It is so suspenseful. You never know what she is going to do. The main character hates being the star but her sister loves it. My mom, my six year old sister and I all liked it. It is such a good book.

Genre: Fiction
Three sentence summary: In this book Whisper Nelson is chosen to kick a ball past a professional soccer player and if she makes it, she is awarded $1,000,000. There's just a little problem: she is not athletic. She has not played a sport since she was eight.

What I liked most about the book: The thing I like about this book is that Whisper has a chance to win $1,000,000.

What I didn't like and why: The only thing that I didnt like about the book was that it was about soccer and I do not like soccer very much.

My favorite character and why: Whisper Nelson because she wasn't very athletic but she still tried. (why wouldn't you if you made the goal you can win $1,000,000.)

The scene, line, or passage that meant something to me and why (page#): Well it was probably when she was getting ready to kick the goal. It's exciting to kick a ball and if you score you win $1,000,000 dollars.

What I would say about this book to someone else: That it's nice that the characters are realistic and the author Dan Gutman discribed the setting very well.

One question i have after reading this book: I wonder if the soccer player became good friends with Whisper Nelson.

My strongest reason for recommending this book: Well if you like sports you would be very interested.

I just recieved this book some days ago and I just cannot put it down (well you know what I mean). It is VERY well constructed, and previous knowledge of the "Gemstone Files" and connected theories (I see them as truths) need not be a requirement for this reading. This is in NO way to undermind/understate this superb book. I have shown it to people who know little or nothing of the Onassis-Kennedy connection conspiracy, how even just reading the introduction sparked intrest in some of the most non-believers I know (or have talked to about these subjects). This is a true 5 star book... If any of the subject matter makes you wonder, question or as I said just spark some interest. Get this book! Other popular books on the Gemstone Files are also worthy reading... The full Gemstone Files will be released soon, and all the skeptics that still believe that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone will be in for a BIG surprise. The Kennedys were right on, dismantle the CIA, crack down on mob activity (well infused within the CIA) and get the United States of America back on a rightous track. Something we are suffering from since the "cold-war" and the "arms-race"...to today with the Bush (let's kill more people and lie to the American public) USA I feel so ashamed to be a part of. But I am only a man, a civilian, who feels he deserves to know the truth like the rest of the America and the world should. I am not a patriot at all (at least not in the right-wing way), I do love the USA and our country. This is why these books that reveal how corrupt our government is, and globally connected to other countries for well, POWER SUPREME are SO important. The couragious people who revealed these hidden truths, are primarily dead and from "suspicious circumstances" are no conincidence... Read for yourself. Be Aware, beware and be a "true" American. Big Brother is upon us and growing day by day. Project Seek is a great starting point for those seeking to piece the "Global Puzzle" together...piece by piece it will come out.

Peace everyone and I wish it was as simple as that...

Gerald A. Carroll spent years researching the Gemstone File history, and produced the best volume of documentation and analysis yet available. Well written and great reading, reads like an excellent mystery story but it's all true.

Gerald Carroll did a marvelous job of seeking out the truth behind the "Skeleton Key to the Gemstone File." With several hundred pages from Bruce Porter Roberts' original Gemstone papers published in "The Gemstone File - A Memoir", "Project Seek" is still an excellent, well-written and well-researched supplement for people who want to understand more about what has happened to our world over the last 50 years.

I worked for Hughes during the time of the event described as his "kidnapping." At the time, the entire Staff on Romaine street was in a major uproar, ostensibly because of a "falling out" between Hughes and Noah Detrich. However, the behavior of some members of the staff subsequent to this event have convinced me that a great degree of truth is contained in Gemstone.

This thick new volume on the famous Gemstone Files is complete with additional research and photos. An extremely valuable book that looks into the roles of Howard Hughes, (Aristotle) Onassis, World War II conspiracies and the Kennedy assassinations in the light of a mysterious document known as the "Gemstone File."

You should read Wagon Wheels by Barbara Brenner and it is historical fiction. The Muldie boys and their dad were going to the West. They came to Kentucky to make their wood house. In Kentucky, it was a free land. One day the Muldie boys' dad went to find a new place to build a new house. It is a good book because the Muldie boys try to find their dad. It makes me feel very happy to read the book because it was historical fiction. I learned about the Homestead Act and I learned that you can help each other.

This was the first chapter book I ever read by myself. It was a great adventure. It is about a family of black pioneers. I was sad in the beginning when I read that the Muldie boys' Mom had died on their way west. When they made their first friend out west, and learned to make a dugout, the story began to get exciting. My favorite part was when they made friends with a group of Native Americans. Later, the three Muldie boys traveled over a hundred miles on their own to find their father on his new homestead. I was thrilled to read on the back page that my first reading adventure was based on a true story. I would recommend this adventure to any new reader.

This novel is about an African American family who moves from Kentucky to Nicodemus, Kansas during the time of westward expansion. The father left his sons in Nicodemus, while he went on to find a place for them to settle, the children followed. The family has a positive encounter with Native Americans, who give them food during the harsh winter. The family experiences a prairie fire, wild animals. This easy-to-read yet adventurous story about boys of various ages would work well with the informational book about Nicodemus.

The main idea of Wagon Wheels by Barbara Brenner is how the Muldie boys survived when their father went to find free land. The book is historical fiction. The Muldie boys went to look for their father because their dad went to find a place to live better. The important events are that the Muldie boys and their father went to find free land. The Indians helped the Muldie boys by giving them food to eat. I like the book because it was interesting. It was based on a true story. It was good and made me want to read it again. I learned that families help each other when they have a problem.

Another great offering from the "I Can Read Book" series. This book is also a Reading Rainbow Book, and it is a true story!

My kids loved the fact this amazing little story about black pioneers in 1878 is true. Considering that I used to have qualms leaving them alone in the house while I went to our mailbox at the end of our pipestem, they find it fascinating that three boys (8, 11, and 3) were left alone while their father went further west to find a good piece of land to settle. Then he sends a letter with a map and tells them to come find him 150 miles away - which they do. Simply amazing.

Straightforward writing, simple sentences, my 1st and 2nd graders loved it.

The literary voice of the ninteen-twenties' "Jazz Age," F. Scott Fitzgerald was out of step with the grimmer thirties. Facing his wife's insanity, increasing alcoholism, and his own obsolesence as a writer, the stories collected here show Fitzgerald facing his demons in bracingly honest prose. If "Crazy Sunday" and the other tales of the adventures of Pat Hobby, down-and-out screenwriter, feel a bit like autobiographical wallow, and "Family In The Wind," about a doctor in the midst of a country tornado, is an interesting if uncharacteristic journey into Steinbeck country, it's the title story of the collection that's worth the price of admission.
Charlie Wales is an ex-broker, returned to Paris after all the good times have gone, with only the goal of regaining custody of his daughter after the death of his wife. A thinly veiled take on Fitzgerald's own troubled relations with daughter Scottie after wife Zelda's madness, it's at once a suspenseful, moving, and lyrical story. All his powers are at work here, as if he knew this was his last shot at literary immortality, and he was just about right.

I bought this volume of stories simply to get a copy of Fitzgerald's "May Day" which I'd read in one of my college texts and then could not find for years. I have always felt that "May Day" would make a superb film--and the screenwriter could lift most of the dialogue right out of the story. It is that good and simple and dramatic. Actually every one of the stories in this collection is first rate. Here is Fitzgerald, only in his 20's, writing of American aspirations before, during and after World War I. And no one wrote about this subject better than he did. The characters are rich and complex, all of them dissatisfied with the bones that life has thrown them, all of them desiring what others have. The reader sees their foibles and loves them anyway. These are not perfect people. They are real people in a time of trouble--fighting, most of them, simply to stay afloat in a world changing faster than anyone would have thought possible. I cannot recommend these brilliant stories highly enough. There is also a brief life and appreciation of Fitzgerald in this lovely Scribner edition.

The Book of Revelations in the New Testament is the most likely source from which F. Scott Fitzgerald draws his "Babylon Revisited". In Revelations, Babylon the Great (also an ancient Near Eastern city of materialism and sexual excess) is the `mother of whores' and the source of all evil in the Roman Empire. She is said to have been defeated by God and judged for her excessive sin. Upon her destruction, the saints rejoice while the merchants and hedonistic pleasure seekers morn. Symbolism abounds in this revision of the timeless tale and the choice of Fitzgerald's title could not be more appropriate.

Charlie himself is the regeneration of Babylon. During the economic boom of the 20's, Charlie and his wife lived life to its fullest and most shallow degree. They partied until sunup. They squandered wealth. We even get the impression that there was a significant amount of infidelity existing on both sides. As with Babylon, Charlie is punished: The stock market crash in 1929 liberates him of a fortune, "his child [is] taken from his control, [and] his wife escaped to a grave in Vermont."

As with Babylon, Charlie's fall had its rejoicers and mourners. Marion, his wife's bereaved sister, saw Charlie's fall as an opportunity to gain control of his child, and with sincere intentions rid her family of the sinner. Though she doesn't expressly rejoice in her brother-in-laws demise, she does blame him for her sister's death and understands why his life has turned out askew. Duncan and Lorraine, on the other hand, mourned the loss of their sinister partner in indulgence.

This story is complete with all of the historic reference and symbolism that has come to define F. Scott Fitzgerald. What a fantastic, unbelievably creative writer. It's amazing how timeless his writings are, and "Babylon Revisited" is the perfect example of that fact. It really makes you think about your own life.

The king of the 1920's Lit World wrote short stories for big money in Scribner's Magazine, Collier's, Esquire, and Saturday Evening Post. His first novel made him famous, This Side of Paradise, but his subsequent novels including The Great Gatsby sold meagerly. Zelda and Scott went through dough like drunken sailors, so Scott wrote short stories for a quick buck. This group of stories is among his best and though some or all were written commercially, Scott's talent was so huge that they rival his chief competitor's: Hemingway, Parker, Anderson, and Larder in charm and precision.

Above all, Fitzgerald is charming. The drunken rich boys of May Day are close to the authors experience and poignantly revealing. Scott was the son of a failed businessman. His mother's family was well to do and Scott associated with rich beauties that seemed always just beyond a snow covered golf course as in Winter Dreams. His experience with his future wife, Zelda Sear, an Alabama debutante is cloaked in fantasy in Ice Palace. Surely newlyweds are surprised to find they have married strangers. In that there is no secret, but Fitzgerald gives his bride a hysterical nightmare in a St Paul carnival ice maze. The reader loves Sally Carrol and is genuinely caught up in her dilemma of Minnesota in-laws and a suddenly stern husband.

Fitzgerald was a dreamer and The Diamond As Big As the Ritz is a parable about a family so rich, and so self-centered in their luxuries, they murder their guests less the secret of the their wealth be known. In an era where a million dollars could buy a country, Fitzgerald's fascination with success and the rich permeates his work.

F. Scott Fitzgerald is one of our greatest writers. He is best known today for his many wonderful novels, especially The Great Gatsby. As time has passed, his marvelous magazine stories have faded from sight . . . even though those were more widely read than his novels when they were written.

In Babylon Revisited: And Other Stories you will deepen your understanding of the novels . . . and of their author in these often semi-autobiographical tales. The best stories have as much impact as any of the novels in a spare exposition that adds to their power.

Each story deals with the same general theme: We live on hope which is based on illusions about reality. When faced with reality, we happily escape into new hopes based on different illusions. We are sort of like Peter Pan: We don't want to grow up.

The theme comes across with startling persuasiveness as Fitzgerald unpeels the many forms of hopeful illusions that will seem familiar to every reader.

The stories build chronologically across the backdrop of the United States after World War I in the 20's and 30's. That shift in authorship times also inadvertently adds the drama of seeing how the psychology of the young and educated changed as American went from mindless boom to seemingly unending bust.

Fitzgerald has a rich imagination to makes his world open up for readers so that you can feel both the physical sensations and the emotions of the characters . . . and become the characters while you are reading.

The stories themselves have that delightful quality of exaggeration that makes his points indelible.

The Ice Palace explores a Southern beauty's pursuit of an advantageous marriage in the frozen tundra of Minnesota in winter. May Day recounts the pursuit of pleasure and accomplishment by those of various social classes and beliefs. The Diamond as Big as the Ritz is a wild tale of a mythical place and the consequences of unlimited wealth. Winter Dreams deals with the painful consequences of acting on the illusions of romantic love. Absolution is an amazing story about how we can carelessly end up being untrue to God and ourselves. The Rich Boy considers how being rich and powerful can get in the way of being close to others. The Freshest Boy looks at being an awkward teenage boy and how he came to make peace with the world. Babylon Revisited shows how our mistakes can come home to roost after we believe we are invulnerable. Crazy Sunday is an astonishing look at the psychology of how we connect to one another through others. The Long Way Out is about a woman who suffers from a mental collapse and is now ready to return to her husband . . . when fate steps in.

My favorite stories in the book are May Day, The Diamond as Big as the Ritz, The Freshest Boy, Babylon Revisited and Crazy Sunday.

If you haven't read these stories before, you have a great treat ahead of you. If you can find a copy of George Guidall's narration for Recorded Books, your pleasure will be even greater.